spine (sized at 1/4”)

The State We’re In: The State We’re In: Washington Your guide to state, tribal & local government Washington Your guide to state, tribal & local government

7th edition League of Women Voters Washington Education Fund

7th edition

League of Women Voters of Washington Education Fund spine (sized at 1/4”)

7th edition The League of Women Voters of Washington

This edition has been produced and published by the League of Women Empowering all Washingtonians to engage in a more responsible Voters of Washington Education Fund and responsive democracy

© 2014 by the League of Women Voters of Washington Education Fund

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored Rooted in the movement that secured the right to vote for women, the in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, League has worked to foster civic engagement and enhance access to the mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior vote since we were founded in 1920. Over time our work has evolved from written permission of the copyright owner. efforts to gain and foster women’s suffrage to ensuring that all eligible voters – particularly those from traditionally underrepresented or underserved Printed in the United States of America communities, including first-time voters, non-college youth, new citizens, minorities, the elderly and low-income Americans – have the opportunity League of Women Voters of Washington Education Fund and the information to exercise their right to vote. 1402 3rd Avenue, Suite 430, Seattle, WA 98101 www.lwvwa.org

ISBN 978-0-615-93888-2 The League believes knowledge is key to voting, so we educate and advocate on:

• Natural resources: clean air and water, energy, land use planning Ordering Information: • Social policies: education, health care, housing Books are available individually or in sets. A Teacher’s Curriculum Guide is also available and is free with purchase of classroom size sets of the • Governmental polices: open government, fair taxes, and more textbook.

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Front cover photos clockwise from upper left: Olympic Peninsula; Seattle skyline photo courtesy Leslie Hoge Design; Mt. St. Helens; Palouse photo courtesy Carlos Schwantes

Back cover photos clockwise from upper left: Middle school students, photo © Susie Fitzhugh; Bruce Henne of Earth Conscious Organics, growers & distributers, Brewster, WA; Lisa Steppe and Andy Robertson, personal fitness trainers, Seattle WA; Hazel Pete, basket weaver, Chehalis tribe, photo courtesy of the Hazel Pete family. The State We’re In: Washington

Your guide to state, tribal & local government

Jill Severn, author

Produced and published by The League of Women Voters of Washington Education Fund 2014

Project Manager: Karen Verrill Book design: Leslie Hoge Design photo courtesy Harry Halverson © Fine Photography League of Women Voters of Washington Education Fund

OUR MISSION: The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.

STEERING COMMITTEE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Margaret Colony, LWV Skagit County The League of Women Voters of Washington Education Fund, the author and the designer thank the following Lucy Copass, LWV Seattle/King County people who generously contributed information, expertise, editorial advice, and drafts of various features. Linnea Hirst, President LWV Washington (recent) Ron Allen, Annette Holcomb, LWV Bellingham/ Whatcom County Chair, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe Dorris Martin, LWV Seattle/King County Dick Baldwin, Senate Photographer Nancy Pearson, LWV Tacoma/ Pierce County Betty Tabbutt, LWV Thurston County John M. Findlay, Professor of American West and Pacific Northwest History, University of Washington CONSULTANTS Dean Foster Claire Hesselholt, Carolyn St Claire, LWV Thurston, Curriculum Specialist, Social Studies Teacher Policy Counsel, Senate Democratic Caucus Sally Brownfield, Director of Education, Squaxin Island Tribe Denny Hurtato, Chambliss Keith, Teacher, Hood Canal School Director of Indian Education, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, retired Cynthia Iyall PROJECT MANAGER Economic Development Specialist Nisqually Tribe Karen Verrill, LWV Thurston County Gordon James, Chair, Skokomish Tribe TEACHER’S CURRICULUM GUIDE COMMITTEE Joan Koenig, Squaxin Tribe Maureen Pittenger, Teacher, Kent School District, retired Sue Lean Carolyn St Claire, Curriculum Specialist, Social Studies Teacher, retired LWV Thurston County Stacie Munoz, Social Studies/Language Arts Teacher, Bainbridge Island School District Caleb Perkins Alignment with the Common Core State Standards by Brent Conklin, National Board Certified Program Supervisor of Social Studies/International Education OSPI Social Studies Teacher, Shelton School District Nick Pharris, Elections Information Specialist Elections Division, Office of the Secretary of State Steve Robinson Policy Analyst, NW Indian Fisheries Commission Toa Vang, Principal Partner, Spokane Tribe

Thanks to contributing sponsor Thurston Regional Planning Council.

2 The state we’re in: Washington The state we’re in: Washington 3 table of contents

Introduction...... 9 5 Governing Washington today...... 57 The legislature...... 57 1 How the first people of Washington Making the laws...... 59 governed themselves...... 10 The legislature’s biggest job: the state budget and taxes...... 63 The role of political parties...... 63 Legislative staff...... 67 2 The design of today’s democracy...... 16 The part-time legislature...... 68 How state legislators are elected...... 69 Separation of powers...... 18 The executive branch...... 72 The rule of law...... 20 The other executive branch officials...... 74 Majority rule, minority rights...... 20 The judiciary...... 77 Federalism...... 21 Immigration...... 21 The role of citizens...... 26 6 Tribal governments today...... 82 Elections...... 26 Initiatives and referenda...... 26 Local government: counties, cities, towns and Running for office...... 28 7 Jury duty...... 29 special districts...... 92 Advocacy...... 30 Counties...... 93 Cities and towns...... 100 3 Creating Washington’s government...... 32 Special purpose districts...... 103 Writing Washington’s constitution...... 37 Big debates...... 39 8 What does it take to be a good citizen?...... 105 Agreement about education...... 42 Statehood...... 43 What’s next for Washington?...... 109 Amendments...... 43 9 4 A century of change...... 45 Appendix A: Timeline of Washington history...... 125 Economic change...... 45 Change in Washington’s natural resources...... 47 Appendix B: A sampling of state agencies Change in relationships between tribal and state/local governments...... 52 and departments...... 129 The changing challenges of government...... 55 photo credits and information can be found in their respective chapters

4 The state we’re in: Washington The state we’re in: Washington 5 Foreword

MMy father recently died. Understandably, I often find myself thinking about him and his life’s remarkable journey. It is a familiar story. His grandparents were immigrants. When he began school in rural South Dakota in 1921, he spoke no English, only German. The Great Depression catapulted him out of school in the ninth grade in an attempt to help save the family’s hardscrabble farm. A few years later, survival came in the form of “With great power federal public works projects. Still later, he answered his country’s call to duty in World War II. Afterwards, he began driving truck (which he did for 37 years), and moved to the emerging suburbs to raise his four children. comes great responsibility.” Although I do not recall a single instance of his leading a family discussion about current events, I do remember that he read two newspapers every day from front to back. He was a bit stoic in the sense we sometimes think of those of German back- Spiderman ground, but he occasionally expressed a healthy skepticism of large institutions. I also recall that no matter what the circumstance, he never missed voting – for anything, be it a school measure or the presidency.

In other words, my father worked hard, played by the rules, and sacrificed to make a better life for his children.

What does all this have to do with the outstanding book that follows? Everything. This book is about the civic community that is shared by all of us and binds us together. It is about the most important and basic information required to “be in the game.” It is about the rights and responsibilities inherent in the “greatest experiment” ever under- taken. It is about the tremendous intergenerational responsibility that has characterized our living, breathing, dynamic way of governing ourselves. Finally, it is about as well written as is possible.

That’s no surprise. The author, Jill Severn, is the best writer I have ever had the privilege to know personally. This is her voice. It is well worth listening to. I think so much of it, that were it mine, I would dedicate it to my dad.

Denny Heck Representative from the 10th District to the United States House of Representatives

6 The state we’re in: Washington The state we’re in: Washington 7 Introduction How Washington got its name In March 1853, the U. S. Congress passed an act TThis book is about how we govern ourselves. It addresses three very basic questions: that established the • What is a government? Washington Territory. (Before then, this area had • Why do we need one? been part of the Oregon • Why should I care about it? Territory, and was often called “North Oregon.”) By the time you’ve finished this book, you should be able to answer these questions Congress rejected the easily. You will also know enough about state, tribal and local government to be an suggestion that this active citizen – someone who helps keep our democracy alive and healthy. new territory be called The most important point to learn about government is that, in a democracy, “Columbia.” They thought government belongs to all of us. If we don’t like what the government is doing, it’s up it would be confused with our national capital, to us to change it. And if we do like something government is doing, it’s up to us to Washington, the District make sure it continues. of Columbia. Apparently, Having a democracy is a little bit like having a pet dog. It’s a lot of fun, but at that time people had not U it’s also a big responsibility. It’s a living, breathing creature that needs to be yet adopted the habit of nourished, cared for, loved, and disciplined. It can be annoying, expensive and messy. calling the national capital But it’s a cherished part of the family, and so, though we often take it for granted, we “Washington, D. C.” or must never neglect it. simply “Washington.” So they named the new The difference is, of course, that government is bigger, more important, and far territory “Washington” to more challenging to keep on a leash. That’s why learning about government is so honor our nation’s first important. If we don’t keep our government under control, it can end up controlling us. president – and left us with If we let that happen, we would betray the work, the wisdom, and the sacrifices exactly the problem they of the people who came before us. They created the government that we have today wanted to avoid! so that our generation – and the generations that will follow us – could live in freedom. There are many ways for you to be involved in your government. Now it’s our turn to follow in their footsteps.

photos clockwise from upper left are courtesy: Washington Education Association; Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission; Bill Wagner and The Daily News of Longview, WA; Leslie Hoge Design; Washington YMCA Youth & Government

8 The state we’re in: Washington The state we’re in: Washington 9 How the first people 1 of Washington governed themselves

“Indians Fishing at The Dalles,” 1854, from a report published with the IIn the long march of history, “Washington” is a recent creation. For thousands of results of a railroad survey for the Northern years before white settlers came, native people lived in this part of the world without Pacific Railroad. creating the boundaries that define our state today.

The pattern of their lives was shaped by the natural world – by where the rivers flowed, where the berries grew, and where the best fishing spots were located. Washington’s first people didn’t plant crops or build factories; they fished, hunted, and gathered wild plants for food. They made their homes, their clothing, and everything else they needed from the materials that nature provided.

They knew how to harvest fish without harming future fish runs. They knew how to burn prairie lands to keep them open, so that the camas plant whose roots they ate would flourish. drawing courtesy Governor’s Mansion Foundation

Culture/Eastern Washington State Historical Society They managed the natural world, but they also considered themselves part of it.

During the spring and summer, they often traveled and built summer camps where the best berries or the best hunting was. In the winter, they returned to their winter houses or longhouses, where they spent more time indoors, making baskets, Northwest Museum of Arts & clothing, and other necessities, and telling stories around the fire. Fishermen at Celilo Falls, Columbia River

10 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 1 How the first people of Washington governed themselves 11 When a band or tribe needed to make a decision, they gathered around and talked about what to do. If there was a disagreement, people continued to talk about it until they found a solution everyone could agree on. This is called governing by consensus. Sometimes it would take a very long time to reach consensus on a decision, but it was more important for everyone to agree than to make a decision quickly.

Most groups of people had different leaders for different purposes. For instance, one person might be the leader for a hunting trip, but a different person might take the lead in deciding where to build a village. If someone was needed to represent the group

Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture/Eastern Washington State Historical Society Colville encampment, Chief Joseph’s village at pow wow honoring the Nez Perce battle of 1877 at Nespelem, Washington, 1900

Throughout the year, native peoples held special ceremonies to show their appreciation for the bounty that nature provided. They honored the spirits of the fish, the trees, the sun and moon. This powerful connection to the spiritual nature of life was a source of strength and unity.

There were important differences between people on the east and west sides of the Cascades – just as there are today. Much of the east side of the state is drier, more open land, and the climate is hotter in the summer and colder in the winter than the rainy, more heavily forested west side of the state. As you might expect, the people who lived near the coast or around Puget Sound ate more seafood – clams, oysters, and even whale meat, than people who lived on the other side of the Cascade mountains. Industry, 83.10.10.923.2 People in different areas also spoke different languages. What all Washington’s first people had in common, though, was that they were very good at catching and preserv- ing salmon. Wild salmon were extremely important to all of Washington’s first peoples.

Even though Washington’s original cultures and traditions were shaped by differences in climate and location, the way people governed themselves was similar. They didn’t write things down, so everything they did involved a lot of talking – and a lot of careful PEMCO Webster & Stevens Coll, Museum of History listening. In fact, listening was a very highly-developed skill. Adults taught young people William Shelton carving a story pole, 1920 the rules of good behavior by telling stories that gave specific examples of what happened when a person didn’t behave the way they should. Young people learned by listening, and by really thinking about what they heard.

12 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 1 How the first people of Washington governed themselves 13 in dealing with another tribe (or with white explorers or settlers), that might be yet Tribal societies in Washington were another person. People mostly looked to elders for leadership, because they had more radically changed by the coming of white experience and wisdom. In fact, elders were honored and held in high esteem. settlers in the middle of the 1800s. In just Sometimes, certain families provided certain kinds of leadership for many generations. a few years, the settlers, backed by the U. S. government, took over most of the In these societies, no one owned land; that idea never occurred to them. They didn’t state, and signed treaties with native have hard and fast definitions of who was a member of which tribe, either. They had peoples that required them to give up networks for trading and visiting each other, and people from one band or tribe often most of their land. In the place of tribal married into another. Although each tribal group had its own traditions, its own general self-government, the U. S. government territory, and its own ways of doing things, there was plenty of exchange that kept asserted its authority. people from becoming isolated. The traditional ways Washington’s people lived and governed themselves University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, neg NA684 were changed forever. But the traditions Swinomish men pose on the beach behind their racing canoe; of Washington’s first peoples weren’t lost. La Conner, 1895 Even though many of the Indians’ spiritual and ceremonial practices were banned for many years by the new settlers’ government, they were kept alive, often in secret. On reservations and in Indian communities around the state, those traditions continue to be passed from one generation to the next. Today, many tribes blend ancient traditions with modern ways of governing. Indians often credit their deeply spiritual traditions with giving them the strength to survive the overwhelming force of white settlers, and the many twists and turns of U. S. policy towards native peoples.

Today, Indian self-government, traditions and culture are experiencing a dramatic comeback. A series of court decisions and changes in national and state policy have affirmed the rights spelled out in the treaties and stimulated the growth and development of tribal self-determination. These decisions were won by many years of determined effort by Indian people and their allies. Today, tribal governments are growing and changing, and taking on important new roles and responsibilities. Tribal governments have become more and more important not just to Indians, but to all of us, because they are involved in issues such as saving wild salmon, protecting the health of rivers and streams, managing urban growth, improving education, and creating jobs. University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, neg NA1036 Chelan women on horseback, Chelan, 1912

14 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 1 How the first people of Washington governed themselves 15 that this was not always so, and that the right to vote is something that many generations of Americans struggled hard to create for us.

Universal suffrage – the right of everyone to vote – is the foundation of democracy, “. . .we here resolve that these but in a complex society like ours, people cannot vote on everything. We have to choose The design of dead shall not have died in people to do the work of governing for us. That’s why we elect people to represent us. vain — that this nation, today’s democracy This is called representative democracy. (When people vote on everything, it’s called under God, shall have a new direct democracy.) birth of freedom — and that 2 The basic principles of our system of government are spelled out in our nation’s government of the people, by the people, for the people, constitution, which was adopted when our country was founded over 200 years ago. Democracy is the idea that people should have control over their government. This is the shall not perish from the D The constitution sets the basic rules for how government should work. A series of opposite of government having control of the people. In societies where there is one earth.” amendments to the constitution called the Bill of Rights defines the rights of citizens. absolute ruler – a king, or a dictator – all power is held by one person. In a democracy, Abraham Lincoln’s Lord Acton, a British all power is held by the people. Gettysburg Address, 1863 historian, wrote in In a democracy, people control government 1887 that “Power tends to corrupt, by voting. When our country was founded, the Different kinds of government and absolute power idea that all people should be able to vote was corrupts absolutely.” considered quite radical. The people who wrote We have three basic levels of government: Our local governments make laws the constitution thought they were going pretty national, state, and local. and provide services to people within far just by giving the right to vote to all white counties, cities and towns. Our national government deals men who owned land. This was a huge change with issues that affect our whole Tribal governments are for a people who had been ruled by a king nation. This includes managing also an important part of the who lived far across the ocean. our relationships with other countries, protecting the United States. In every state,

Over the years, the right to vote has been U. S. from attack, making national laws, and providing including Washington, tribes art courtesy of Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission

expanded to include people who don’t own land, courtesy Governor’s Mansion Foundation programs and services for all Americans. govern the native people who live on the reservations portrait of created when their ancestors signed treaties with the African-Americans, women, Native Americans, Our 50 state governments – and the George Washington federal government. and immigrants of all races who choose to by Rembrandt Peale, governments of territories governed by the in the Governor’s Mansion U. S., like Puerto Rico, Guam and American State and local governments are based on the become citizens. Today, it seems obvious to us Olympia, WA that everyone is equal, and that everyone should Samoa – deal with issues that affect the same democratic ideas as our national government. have the right to vote. But we need to remember people of their state or territory. Tribal governments are usually based partly on the national model described in our constitution, and partly on the traditional ways tribes governed themselves before settlers came.

16 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 2 The design of today’s democracy 17 Our constitution is the foundation of our democracy. It represents a very careful • The most important part of the judicial branch is the Supreme balance between individual liberty and the common good. Our constitution protects Court. There are nine Justices on the Supreme Court. They are appointed for our freedom to pursue our own dreams and choose our own beliefs, but, at the same life by the President, but the Senate has to vote to approve of the President’s time, it calls on citizens and elected leaders to put the common good – the welfare appointments. Because Supreme Court Justices are appointed for life, they don’t of everyone – ahead of our own interests. have to worry about losing their jobs if they make decisions that someone doesn’t American democracy like. Their primary duty is to make sure that the laws passed by Congress, states, has three branches Separation of powers and local governments respect the basic principles laid out in our nation’s constitution. of government – If the Supreme Court decides a law is unconstitutional, it can throw the law out. Human beings are far from perfect, and we often have a hard time resisting the the legislative branch, The Supreme Court can also rule on cases about whether police and other govern- temptation to abuse power. We also need stability in our government so that people the executive branch, ment agencies – including the president – respect the constitutional rights of citizens. and businesses can plan for the future. That’s why American democracy spreads power and the judicial around rather than giving a lot of power to one elected leader. This system of government is not designed to be efficient and fast; it is designed branch. By balancing to be careful and slow. A new law has to be debated and voted on by the legislative power among American democracy has three branches of government – the legislative branch, approved by the executive branch, and, if anyone challenges it, upheld by our three branches of branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch. By balancing power judicial branch. government, we among three branches of government, we assure that power is shared, and that no assure that power one person or branch of government has absolute authority. There is often tension and conflict between the three branches of government. Presidents sometimes get angry when the Senate doesn’t approve their appointments is shared, and that • At the federal or national level, the legislative branch makes laws, to the Supreme Court. Congress doesn’t like it when a President vetoes a law they’ve no one person or and decides how to spend the federal taxes that all of us pay. The legislative passed. But because everyone agrees with the basic rules set out in the constitution, branch of branch consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. (Together, the these conflicts don’t get out of hand. government has House and Senate are called the Congress.) The people of each state elect two absolute authority. Senators, no matter how big or small the state is. But the number of representatives each state elects to the House of Representatives depends on how many people live there. (For example, Washington currently has ten representatives; California has 52.)

• The president, who is the head of the executive branch, can approve or reject (veto) the laws Congress makes. If the President vetoes a law, the Congress can cancel (override) the veto by passing the law again, but this time two-thirds of them (not just a simple majority of half plus one) have to vote for it.

The president is also the boss for most national government agencies, and is the Commander in Chief of the military. Photodisc photo Mt. Rushmore features four presidents carved into a mountainside. Can you name all four?

18 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 2 The design of today’s democracy 19 This basic idea – the idea of separation of powers into the three branches of to protect minorities by providing all citizens with the same rights, and by giving the government – is reflected in the way state and local governments are organized, too. Supreme Court the power to strike down any law, no matter how popular, if it violates But state and local governments vary in the way they do this. Nebraska, for instance, the rights of even one person. These ideas are reflected in the U. S. Constitution’s Bill has only one legislative body instead of two. And in our state, we elect the members of of Rights. our state Supreme Court rather than letting the Governor (the head of our executive branch) appoint them. Federalism

Many local governments combine some of the functions of the legislative and The word federalism describes the division of responsibility between state govern- executive branches because they are just too small to maintain three separate branches. ments and our national government. When our country was founded, it was made up But the basic principle of spreading power around is a universal feature of American of 13 colonies that had been created by England. As our national constitution was being governance. It is often called a system of checks and balances. written, there were lots of arguments about how much power they would have when they became states, and how much power the national government would have. In the The rule of law end, the general idea was that the federal government would make rules about things that crossed state lines, and states would be responsible for everything A cornerstone of American government is the idea of having a “government of else. So, for instance, states are responsible for education, but the national laws rather than a government of men.” This means that our government is guided by government is responsible for defending our nation from attack. the law, not by what one person – or one group of people – wants to do. Our laws are intended to apply to everyone equally. No one is supposed to get special treatment, no Not all of the arguments about state versus national government power were matter how rich or powerful they may be. And the power of all government officials is really settled when the constitution was written. In the history of the U. S., the limited to what the law says they can do. relative power of state and federal governments has continued to change. During the civil rights movement of the 1960s for instance, southern Majority rule, minority rights states argued that they had “states’ rights” to discriminate against African-Americans. After a long series of debates and court cases, it When our nation was founded, the people who wrote our constitution worked was decided that they did not. hard to balance two ideas. The first – majority rule – is the idea that the ultimate power in a democracy is vested in the people. When we elect leaders, the majority of the people Immigration – that is, 50% plus one or more – determines who wins. People who come to the U. S. from other countries are called The second idea relates to “the rule of law.” The idea is that the majority shouldn’t immigrants. Sometimes people say that the U. S. is a nation of be able to violate the rights of a minority. Like the idea of the separation of powers, immigrants, since all of us except Indians are descendants of this idea recognizes that people are imperfect. Sometimes the majority of people are immigrants. Today, about 12.9% of the people in the U. S. were prejudiced against a certain group of people – people of a different race or religion, or born in another country. people who have different political beliefs, for instance. Our political system is designed

Photodisc photo 20 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 2 The design of today’s democracy 21 Some immigrants come to this country because they are fleeing from war in their and speak English; that they know some U. S. home country. Some come because they might be jailed or even killed for their political history; and that they understand how or religious beliefs or their race. These people are called refugees, because they are American government works. seeking refuge – a safe place. But most immigrants come to join family members who All children born in the U. S. are citizens are already here, or because they want better jobs and more opportunities for their by birth. If adults come to this country illegally children. Sometimes immigrants come because there is a shortage of people for certain and then have children while they are here, the jobs or professions – nurses, for instance, or computer professionals, or farm workers. children are U. S. citizens because they were The federal government sets the number of immigrants that can come to the U. S. born in this country. If their parents are here every year. Often when people in other countries apply to come here, they have to wait illegally, or if the parents commit a crime, they many years before they get permission from the federal government. Many never get can be deported (sent back to the country

permission. If they come to the U. S. without getting permission first, or if they stay longer they came from). But what happens to the photo by Jal Schrof, courtesy of the Ethnic Heritage Council The 20th Annual than they have permission to, they are considered illegal immigrants. There are probably children? Legally, they have a right to stay here – but to exercise that right, they might Naturalization Ceremony several million illegal immigrants in the U. S. today. (No one knows the exact number.) have to be separated from their own mom and dad. on July 4th, 2004 at the Seattle Center, where Most illegal immigrants come to this country because they are poor and they need Immigration also gets complicated when it comes to deciding what government many people became U. S. citizens. jobs. And lots of American employers hire them, even though it is against the law to do services people get. Illegal immigrants pay taxes, but they don’t get the same benefits so. There is a constant conflict about this. Some people think all illegal immigrants as other taxpayers. They can’t get welfare, government-paid health insurance, or help if should be rounded up and sent back to their home countries. Other people think that they get hurt and can’t work. (Even legal immigrants can’t get most welfare benefits.) some or all the illegal immigrants in the country should be given amnesty – meaning they People argue about this a lot. If a woman is a poor illegal immigrant, and she’s should be given permission to stay, and be made legal immigrants, because employers Women immigrating going to have a baby, should the government pay for her medical care? Some people need them, and because they make an important contribution to the American economy from Japan say no, because she broke the law by coming here illegally. Other people say yes, by working and paying taxes. because the baby will be a U. S. citizen, and we want that child to be born healthy. Only legal immigrants can apply to become American People have similar arguments about whether kids who are illegal immigrants citizens. To become a citizen, an immigrant has to live in this should be able to go to school. Some people say that U. S. citizens country for at least five years. Then they have to fill out an shouldn’t have to pay to educate kids who are here application form, pay a fee, be interviewed by a U. S. official, illegally. But the U. S. Supreme Court has said that the and pass a test to show that they have learned to read, write kids shouldn’t be punished for something their parents did. They say that educating all kids is the best and only way to make sure that they can get jobs and pay taxes when they grow up. (Washington’s state constitution says we should educate all children “residing” in our state, not

just those who are citizens.) The passport

photo courtesy the collection of the a Nordic Swedish Heritage Museum, family, Seattle, Washington1923. photo courtesy Seattle Betsuin Archives

22 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 2 The design of today’s democracy 23

Before 1846, when the Oregon Territory officially became part of the United States, the only immigrants were Who came when, and where did they come from? fur traders and trappers, a few missionaries, and people who worked for the trading companies that bought and sold furs. Nearly all were single men. Some were French-speaking Canadians; a few were from Hawaii; others were British or American. A few married native women and lived with local tribes, but most left eventually.

Mexicans were actually among When the railroad finally reached Washington in 1887, it cut the time to travel across National immigration policy didn’t exist until 1882. That was the first time the federal the country from four to six months to six days. Washington’s population exploded government passed a law to control who could come to this country – and the law was the very earliest immigrants to once the railroads connected us to the rest of the country. Most of the people who the Chinese Exclusion Act, which forbade any more Chinese laborers from coming to Washington. When Spanish came were European immigrants who had already lived for some time in the East and the U. S. In the 1920s, more immigration laws were passed to limit the immigration of explorers came here in the Midwest, but people also came directly from other countries. Eastern and Southern Europeans and to exclude people from Asia and the Pacific 1770s, the crews on their ships Islands. Immigration policy was based on race for a long time, and it favored Northern were mostly Mexican. Europeans. This didn’t change until the Immigration Reform and Nationality Act of One Mexican crew member White settlers came to 1965, which allowed people to immigrate if they have family members already here, collected and catalogued over Washington beginning in or if they have skills needed by U. S. employers. 200 species of plants, animals the 1840s. Most came from and birds. Another was a the American Midwest or Chinese workers were Japanese, Koreans, and renowned artist who drew the Northeast. Their recruited to help build the pictures of the Olympic railroads during the 1870s. other Asian and Pacific migration to Oregon and Scandinavians (people from Peninsula. And for many But in the 1880s, white Island nationalities arrived Washington started as a African-Americans were Sweden, Norway, Denmark years before the railroads workers who needed jobs in Washington during times trickle, but grew larger among the earliest settlers, and Finland) began to immi- came to Washington, skilled blamed the Chinese workers when federal immigration with every passing year – but the number of African- grate to Washington in the Italians, Greeks, Croatians, Mexicans provided transpor- for high unemployment, policy allowed it, but there especially after 1846, when Americans was very small 1880s, and their numbers Basques, Irish, Germans, tation services of “mule and there were anti-Chinese were long periods during the federal government until the 1880s when railroads increased rapidly for the next Dutch, and people from many trains” to miners, fur traders, riots and killings. Many which the U. S. government encouraged people to reached Washington. twenty five years. Most came other European countries settlers and merchants. Chinese left or were driven excluded them. Japanese, settle here. The population grew a lot to the Puget Sound region, settled in Washington singly During World War II, out of the state. Chinese, Filipino and during World War II, when but there were also clusters Korean immigrants were or in groups in the late 1800s Mexicans and other Latinos many came to work at of various nationalities in recruited to come here for and early 1900s. We can still began to come to Washington Boeing, Hanford, and in in larger numbers, mostly as Spokane and in other cities jobs when their labor was see their legacies, in small other wartime jobs. In 1880, farm workers. Many settled in and farming areas. needed to build railroads, towns that celebrate their there were 180 African- the Yakima Valley, but they In 1910, the population of work in mines, canneries, immigrants’ history. For Image courtesy Tacoma Public Library Americans in Washington; soon spread to other agricul- Kitsap County was 25% farms or logging camps, but instance the town of Lynden in 1890, there were just over tural areas, such as the Skagit Scandinavian immigrants. Asian and Pacific Island is known for its Dutch roots, 1,000; in 1940, there were Valley. Today, Latinos Some Scandinavians settled in immigrants were not and Leavenworth is famous 7,000. In 1950, after World (including Mexicans, people the Puget Sound area because allowed to become citizens for its German-themed War II, there were 30,000. from other Latin American it reminded them of home or to own land until after celebration of Christmas. countries, and Latinos from and they could find jobs in World War II. After the In Eastern Washington, Texas, California and other the woods. Vietnam war, many refugees Odessa and Endicott are states) are the fastest-growing and immigrants from known for their Russian/ and largest minority in Southeast Asia came to German heritage. Washington. Washington.

24 The state we’re in: Washington Unless otherwise noted, all images courtesy Washington State Historical Society, Tacoma Chapter 2 The design of today’s democracy 25 VOTING

In the presidential election of Becoming a citizen is important because only citizens are allowed to vote, and the proposed law can go to the legislature, or directly to the ballot. (The number of November 2012, 133 million only citizens have the absolute right to stay in this country, no matter what. Even legal people who have to sign an initiative is 8% of the number who voted in the last election people, or 57%, of the voting- immigrants who have lived here for many years can be deported if they have not for governor.) age population voted. That become citizens. Some young people have been deported for drug charges or stealing, means that more than 40% of If an initiative goes to the legislature, the legislature can pass it, and it becomes even though they lived legally in the U. S. since they were babies. the eligible voters let someone law. The legislature can also write an alternative measure, and put both the original else make important decisions initiative and their proposed alternative on the ballot of the next election. If the legislature The role of citizens for them. Only about 65% of doesn’t do anything, the initiative still goes to the voters at the next election. If a majority people eligible to vote are regis- of people vote for it, it becomes law. (Even if an initiative passes, the State Supreme Elections tered to vote. Women, married Court can throw it out if it violates the state constitution. And if it violates the U. S. people, and older people are The most basic way people in a democracy exercise political power is by voting in Constitution, the U. S. Supreme Court can throw it out.) more likely to vote. elections. We elect the people who represent us – the members of city or tribal councils, People in Washington also vote on referenda. A referendum is a law passed by In Washington, 75% of people county commissioners, state governors and legislators, and the President and the the state legislature, but referred to the voters. Sometimes the legislature itself refers a eligible to vote were registered Congress of the United States. And if we don’t like what they do, we can vote them measure to the ballot to see if the majority of voters agrees that it should become law. in 2012, and 81% of all of those out of office. registered to vote actually did But sometimes a citizen or group of citizens doesn’t like a law passed by the legislature. vote. So in our state, 61% of We also vote on specific issues. For instance, in Washington, local communities If they can get enough people to sign a petition, they can get the law put on the ballot. people eligible to vote did. vote on how much we are willing to pay in taxes to support public schools. We also (The number of people who have to sign the petition is 4% of the number of people Washinton was ranked 13th vote sometimes on special issues, like whether we want to pay extra taxes to build who voted in the last election for governor.) Then if the majority of people vote against in the country in voting rates. sports stadiums. And we vote on amendments to our state constitution. it, the new law is thrown out. Some reasons given by registered non-voters for not Initiatives and referenda voting in the 2012 election In the early 20th century, people wanted to make sure that citizens kept control include: too busy (19%), over our government. So even though our state government has the same checks and not interested (16%), illness or One person’s opinion makes a difference balances as our national government, Washington voters amended the state constitution disability (14%), did not like to build in an extra check – the power of citizens to bypass the legislature, write a candidates or campaign issues proposed law and have the people vote on it. This is called an initiative. the sales tax on food. and the original version (13%), forgot (4%). Yikes! This was an initiative were on the ballot. To pass an initiative, a citizen or group of citizens must get a large number of people photo courtesy of the Washington State Senate directly to the people. Voters chose the Voters in the to sign petitions asking for a proposed law to be put on the ballot. If enough people sign, original version. 2012 election Tim Eyman, who lives in thousands of people • In 1988, voters passed

all U.S. Washington Mukilteo, thought that to sign them, and got an initiative to clean up photo courtesy of Gayle Rieber Photography voters state voters 100 taxes in Washington measures on the ballot dangerous toxic waste 80 were too high, so he to reduce taxes. sites. It was an initia- 60 organized several tive to the legislature. 40 65% 75% 62% 81% 56% 61% Other examples of initiative campaigns. The legislature drafted 20 successful initiatives He raised money, made an alternative, so both 0 • In 1977, voters passed percent of percent of percent of the legislature’s version the voting those the voting petitions, persuaded age that is registered age that did an initiative that removed registered to vote and vote to vote did vote

source: WA Secretary of State’s Voter Participation Statistics and U.S. Census Bureau 26 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 2 The design of today’s democracy 27 Candidates for public office usually ask the people who support them to donate money for their campaigns, although sometimes rich people finance their own campaigns.

(There’s more information about running for office in Chapter 5.)

The role of money in election campaigns is very controversial. In a democracy, we want everyone to have an equal chance to be heard. And we don’t want individuals, unions or corporations that have a lot of money to have more than their share of influ- ence in an election. We don’t want our elected officials to feel that they have to vote the way their campaign contributors want them to. So we have rules about who can give, and how much they can give. And every few years, we pass more rules. But hardly anyone believes that we have found the perfect solution to this problem.

The most important safeguard we have come up with is the principle of transparency, or openness. This means that everyone should be able to find out who gave money to a political campaign, and how much. We have very strict laws that require every candidate and every campaign organization to report their contributions. A special government agency, the Public Disclosure Commission, makes this information available to the public and to reporters. (There’s more information about this on page 68.)

Still, campaign financing will always be a subject we debate, both in elections for photo by Ron Soliman, February 3, 2004, reprinted courtesy The Olympian public office, and in campaigns to pass initiatives and other ballot measures. Local communities vote on how much they are willing to pay in taxes to support public schools Jury Duty

Running for office Citizens also serve on juries. A jury is a group of people – usually 12 – who sit in

Another important way citizens participate in government is by running for public judgment when someone is brought to court and accused of a crime. A judge conducts office. Most people who decide to do this start by running for a local office, such as the trial, but members of the jury have to decide whether the accused person is guilty being a school board member, or a city council member. When they are more experienced, or innocent. (In civil cases, where one person or business is suing another person or and more people know them and support them, they run for higher offices. But this is business, juries usually have only six members.) not always true; sometimes a person who has never been involved in government decides This is called “jury duty” because it is a duty that comes with being an American to run for governor or the U. S. Congress. citizen.

People who run for office need money to finance their campaigns. They have to buy campaign signs, publish brochures to let people know what they stand for, and sometimes buy advertising in newspapers or on radio or TV. If they are running for a statewide office, they also need money to travel around the state to campaign.

28 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 2 The design of today’s democracy 29 An example of advocacy Advocacy The Arc of Washington State is one example of people or apartments. The Arc Having a democracy doesn’t mean that our government is perfect. But democracy’s using their rights. The Arc is a private, non-profit of Washington State flaws are not in the ideas that are the basis for our government; its flaws come from organization started by the parents of people who also helps educate all our failure to live up to those ideas. have developmental disabilities. (A developmental people about what it’s American history is, in many ways, the story of the struggle of the American people disability is a condition such as mental retardation like to have a develop- to live up to the ideals set out in the U. S. Constitution. Over many years, voting rights that occurs before age 18.) By banding together, mental disability, and have been extended to all citizens 18 and older, and discrimination against people the parents of people with these disabilities have why it’s important to accept and include people with Advocacy: because of their race or religion has been made illegal. These changes didn’t come easily. persuaded the government to give them more help, these disabilities in our schools and communities. Promoting a point of view But these changes were possible because our constitution established the idea of equality so they can choose whether to live in their own houses Visit their website at: www.arcwa.org or belief, or working to as the foundation of our society. help a certain group of people. (For instance, Today, there are still ways in which we fail to live up to the ideas in our constitution. Advocates rally to support the Fircrest Bill, which Now people with developmental disabilities someone who tries to get For instance, in today’s society, equality depends on everyone getting a good education. would help use funds for more community-based services are more active in their communities, for people with developmental disabilities. thanks to hard work by citizen advocates. laws passed to help people But we haven’t yet succeeded in reaching this goal. In communities where people don’t with disabilities would be have very much money, they can’t afford to pay enough in taxes to have schools as good advocating for them. The as those in richer communities. The result is that kids in poorer communities may not person who does this have the same opportunities to learn and succeed. would be an advocate.) The important thing to remember, though, is that in a democracy, people have the power to change these things. It isn’t easy, and it often takes a very long time. But the history of our country – and our state – shows that progress is possible.

This progress is possible because we have the right to say what we think, to band together to push for change, and to support or oppose candidates for public office.

We are so used to having these rights that we often forget how important they are. Many Americans don’t bother to vote, and don’t make their voices heard. But our democratic rights are a lot like our muscles: the more we use them, the stronger they become. If we don’t exercise our rights, our democracy becomes weaker.

So, to sum up, American democracy is built on the belief that we govern ourselves. This is both our right and our responsibility. That’s why it’s so important to learn about how our government works.

all photos courtesy The Arc of Washington State unless otherwise noted Photo by Clara Link, courtesy of The Down Syndrome Community 2004 Calendar, Living it Up! www.downsyndromecommunity.org

30 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 2 The design of today’s democracy 31 The Medicine Creek Treaty and the story of Leschi and Quiemuth In late 1854, Governor Stevens gathered some settlers, U. S. government officials, and Indians from various tribes around the south end of Puget Sound at a place near Nisqually called Medicine Creek. He wanted the Indians to sign the treaty right then and there, and he didn’t Creating want to give them time to talk about it with the people back in their villages. Most of the Indians didn’t want to sign, but they didn’t feel they had a choice, because the U. S. army had a lot of Washington’s men with guns. Enough of the Indians signed (or made Xs next to their names) to make the treaty official. The treaty meant that the Indians had to go live on the reservations that Stevens 3 assigned to them. government The Nisqually and Puyallup Indians were upset by the reservations they were assigned to, because it was on hard, rocky ground, far from the rivers where they had always fished. Two Starting in the 1840s, settlers from the East and Midwest began to come to the Oregon brothers, Leschi and Quiemuth, went to Olympia to try to correct this, but they were labeled S Territory in search of land to farm, adventure, and the opportunity to create new com- “trouble makers” and threatened with arrest. They fled into the foothills of Mt. Rainier. A group munities. At first, just a few came, but after 1846, when Britain gave up its claim to this of settlers went off to find them. area and the Oregon Territory became an official part of the U. S., the number of settlers Fort Walla Walla, 1853, While the settlers were searching for Leschi and Quiemuth, two U. S. soldiers were killed, and multiplied every year. Most of them settled in the Willamette Valley, and they established from a report published Salem as their capital. with the results of a some Indians attacked settlers. Some people blamed Leschi for this, even though others said he railroad survey for the was not in the area when these things happened. For ten months, there was fighting between Northern Pacific Railroad. Indians and whites. Then Governor Stevens called for a Peace Council, and promised to create better reservations. When Leschi came to this gathering, he was arrested. Quiemuth also surren- dered. Quiemuth was murdered while he was in custody, and no one was ever arrested for this. Leschi was tried for the murder of one soldier. The jury could not come to a decision, and many people insisted he was innocent. A second trial was held, and this time he was declared guilty. He was hanged on February 19, 1858. Many people – both Indian and settler – were deeply sorry that this happened, and angry that someone they regarded as a great man had been the victim of such a terrible injustice. In 2004, 150 years after the Medicine Creek treaty was signed, the Washington state legislature passed a memorial calling on the state Supreme Court to acknowledge that Leschi’s conviction was an injustice. The memorial also called on the public schools to teach young people the truth about this part of our state’s history.

document courtesy Washington State Archives drawing courtesy Governor’s Mansion Foundation

32 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 3 Creating Washington’s government 33 From tribal lands to territory to Washington state — the story in maps

The large map, drawn in 1854, shows what early explorers knew about Washington’s land and tribes. The maps below show how the borders of Washington changed when it became a territory in 1853, when Oregon became a state in 1859, and again when Idaho became a separate territory in 1863. The borders established in 1863 stayed the same when Washington became a state in 1889.

1853 1859

Can you read this older-style handwriting? Washington Territory Washington Territory This is what we think it says: Oregon Territory State of Oregon Note: From the dividing ridge of 1853 1859 the Rocky Mountains to the 1853 1859 1863 Western limit as marked on this map, the country is closely packed with mountains and heavily tim- bered with probably every species of pine; the rivers flowing in deep and narrow valleys interspersed with open prairies.

Washington Territory Washington Territory The map is compiled from the Washington Territory OregonWashington Territory Territory State of Oregon incomplete data of the N.P.R.R. E Oregon Territory toState IdahoTerritory of Oregon _& T (?) which when complete may show some slight differences, but 1863 none that can affect the value of 1863 this copy for general purposes. By permission of Gov. I.I. Stevens (signed) Jno Lambert, Draughtsman Traced from Mr. Lambert’s original map by Gen. (Geo?) W. Stevens to IdahoTerritory to IdahoTerritory

map courtesy WA State Historical Society

34 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 3 Creating Washington’s government 35 George Washington Bush of color to being whipped Legislature met in 1854, was among the first settlers if they tried to settle there. they passed a resolution The President wanted Isaac Stevens to negotiate treaties with all the Indians who who, in 1846, helped found So the Bush family and the asking the federal govern- lived in the Washington Territory. The purpose of the treaties was to persuade the the community that even- friends they were traveling ment to make an exception Indians to give up most of their lands, so that more white settlers could come and live tually became our state’s with decided to come for the Bush family. In here, and so that the federal government could grant them clear ownership of the land. capital. He was a free north of the Columbia 1855, the U. S. Congress From 1854-1856, Isaac Stevens traveled all over the state, and persuaded tribes to sign African-American who River, where the laws were passed “An Act for the treaties in which the Indians promised to live on reservations, which were specific pieces had been a very successful not enforced. The Bush drawing courtesy The Office of Secretary State Relief of George Bush, of of land reserved for them. In many cases, this meant the tribes had to relocate; that is, farmer in Missouri. He and family settled on what is Thurston County, they had to move from where they usually lived. The tribes were promised small payments Governor Stevens settlers, and for their hard speaking to the his Irish-American wife, now called Bush Prairie, work and skill at farming. Washington Territory,” for the land they gave up, and they were promised that they could continue to fish, Nez Perce, 1855, from the hunt, and gather in their “usual and accustomed places.” They were also promised report published with the Isabella, decided to move just south of the present- Isabella was a nurse, and granting this request. results of his railroad to the Oregon Territory day city of Olympia. her medical knowledge George Bush’s son, Owen government services such as health care and education. survey for the Northern Pacific Railroad. to escape from the racial Local tribes and the was of special value to Bush, was elected to the The white people who wrote the treaties thought that Indians prejudice of the South. Hudson’s Bay Company both settlers and Indians. Washington legislature in should settle down, learn how to farm, and live like white people. However, when they helped the settlers survive The federal government 1889. He introduced the This didn’t make much sense to the Indians, who had been fishing, arrived in Oregon, the their first winter. In the gave white settlers land, legislation that created the hunting, and moving around freely for thousands of years. Territorial Legislature had years that followed, the college that is now known but excluded people of Isaac Stevens and the people who worked for him didn’t know just passed a “Lash Law” Bush family was famous as Washington State color. So when the first very much about the Indians and their way of life, and they didn’t that subjected any African- for generosity to their University in Pullman. Washington Territorial take the time to learn, because they were in a hurry to get treaties Americans or other people neighbors and to new signed and get all the Indians grouped together on reservations.

There were brief wars between some of the Indians and the

federal government over the terms of the treaties. The federal drawing courtesy Governor’s Mansion Foundation government won. But some came to what is now western Washington, and by 1851, they were campaigning to make the land north and west of the Columbia River a separate territory. Within the next few decades, Washington began to fill up with settlers. These settlers From the new settlements in Seattle and Olympia, it took at least three days to get to wanted Washington to become a state, because then they could form their own state Salem, and people didn’t feel the Salem government really represented them. So the government instead of having a governor appointed by the President. settlers in what is now Washington called meetings, published newspaper articles, and asked Congress to declare the area north and west of the Columbia River a separate Writing Washington’s constitution territory. In 1853, their wish was granted, even though there were only about one In 1889, 75 men were elected to go to Olympia to write a state constitution. For thousand settlers north of the Columbia. Congress also made the territory much larger Washington to become a state, a constitution had to be written and voters had to than they had asked by adding land to the east of the Columbia River (see maps). approve it. In 1854, U. S. President Franklin Pierce sent Isaac Stevens to be the governor of Washington Territory. Territories were controlled by the federal government, so the governor worked for the President of the United States.

36 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 3 Creating Washington’s government 37 State constitutions are similar to the U. S. Constitution, but not exactly the same. Big Debates Like our national Constitution, state constitutions set up the basic organization of They had big debates about many issues. For example, they had a long argument government and spell out the rights of citizens. They are the foundation on which about whether the constitution should give women the right to vote. Some thought Article I, Section 1 government is built. But state constitutions are usually more specific, and have more women should be allowed to vote, but they were afraid that if they said so in the con- of Washington’s detail. For instance, our state constitution describes certain services that state government stitution, the voters would reject it, and that would delay Washington becoming a state. state constitution: must provide – schools, prisons, and state institutions to care for people who have Others didn’t want women to have the vote because they were afraid women would All political power is certain disabilities. The federal Constitution doesn’t say anything about what services our vote to outlaw alcohol. Companies that made beer and whiskey lobbied to keep women When the legislature inherent in the people, national government must provide. ran out of stationery and governments derive from getting the vote. In the end, the writers of the constitution decided not to put State constitutions can also differ from our national constitution in the rights they in 1877, a resolution their just powers from the women’s suffrage in the constitution. They put it on the ballot as a separate measure, and give to citizens. For instance, Washington’s constitution has stronger protections of was written on a consent of the governed, it was defeated by the all-male voters. people’s privacy, our right to own guns, and stricter separation between religion and shingle. and are established to University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections. Neg UW594 The delegates who protect and maintain government. wrote the constitution also individual rights. Among the people (called delegates) who wrote our constitution there were 22 argued about the power of lawyers, 19 farmers or ranchers, nine storeowners or bankers, six doctors, three teachers, railroads and other big and three miners. There were no women in the group because women didn’t have the companies. The opening of right to vote, except in elections for local school boards. There were also no Indians. At the railroads in the early that time, Indians were considered citizens of Indian nations, not citizens of the United 1880s caused a huge pop- States. There were also many Chinese immigrants in Washington, most of whom came ulation explosion. Railroads here to work in the mines and help build the railroads, but they weren’t allowed to opened the state to more become citizens, so they weren’t represented either. settlement, and made it Starting on the 4th of July, 1889, the 75 men set to work. They didn’t start from possible for the farmers scratch. They copied parts of the constitutions of other states, and some sections from and ranchers in Eastern an earlier draft of a Washington state constitution that had been written in 1878. Washington to get their products to market. But The Northern Pacific Railroad many farmers and ranchers

Suffrage: the right to vote. prayer – but that meaning seems were angry at the prices the railroads charged. A lot of people also thought the federal This is a very confusing word, to have fallen out of use. Another government had given away too much public land to the railroads, and that the owners of because it sounds like it’s related to mystery about the word suffrage the railroads and other big companies had too much power and influence over government. “suffer,” but it’s not. It comes from is why it’s almost always used in People didn’t want the railroads and other big businesses to get control of our state the Latin word suffragium, which connection with women’s right to government. So the drafters of our constitution included several things to try to prevent also means the right to vote. To vote, but rarely in discussions of make it even more confusing, other people’s right to vote. a suffrage can also be a kind of

38 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 3 Creating Washington’s government 39 citizenship was allowed this. They made it illegal for state government to loan money to private companies. They starting in 1946; for even forbade elected officials from accepting free railroad passes. They insisted on strict Japanese-Americans and separation between private business and state government. Tideland: land that people from other countries They also had big debates about what to do with the 2.5 million acres of land that is under water when in Asia, eligibility for the federal government gave to the state. Income from logging and other uses on some the tide is in, but not citizenship was finally of this land was supposed to be used to fund schools and other public buildings. In other when the tide is out. granted in 1952. states, public lands had been sold off to business owners for a tiny fraction of their real Tidelands are important 1964 value. People in Washington didn’t want that to happen here, so they wrote a strong The 24th Amendment for several reasons: statement that public lands must never be sold for less than they were worth. (It worked. to the Constitution, adopted oysters, clams and other in 1964, prohibits states Today, Washington’s state government still owns millions of acres of land, and logging creatures we eat live from charging a “poll tax” and other activities on there; they provide (a requirement that people that land raise money to important habitat for pay to vote) that was help pay for building

University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, neg A. Curtis 19943 many birds, sea creatures mainly intended to schools and maintaining and plants, and tidelands A Quick History of Voting Rights exclude African-American our state capitol.) provide access to the voters. The biggest ocean (and to Puget 1776 When the U. S. first recognized the citizenship campaign for women’s 1965 The Voting Rights arguments, though, Sound and other bays and harbors) that are became an independent of all African-Americans, suffrage. Ten years later, Act was passed by the were over what to do important for shipping nation, state governments and gave male African- the 19th Amendment to the U. S. Congress, finally about tidelands. A lot of and industry. Many of decided who could vote. Americans the right to U. S. Constitution gave all ending state practices businesses had already the tidelands in urban In most states, only white vote. The right to vote was women the right to vote. designed to exclude been established on tide- photo courtesy Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission areas have been filled males who owned property made explicit in the 15th 1924/1950s In 1924, the African-American voters. lands. For instance, Henry Yesler had established a sawmill on the tidelands in Seattle. in to make more dry were allowed to vote; in Amendment. (Still, voting U. S. Congress passed the 1971 The 26th Amendment After a lot of debate, it was decided that the state would continue to own the tidelands, land, and some have some instances, widows rights were denied to to the U. S. Constitution but would lease some of them to private businesses. (At the time, the writers of the Indian Citizenship Act, been dug up to create who owned property were African-Americans in spite lowered the voting age constitution didn’t think about the fact that tidelands were part of the “usual and giving U. S. citizenship to deeper water for boats allowed to vote, too. of these amendments.) accustomed places” that Indians had been promised rights to fish and gather clams all Native Americans. But, from 21 to 18 years. and ships. and oysters.) 1855 By 1855, all the 1890/1920 In 1890, it wasn’t until the 1950s 2013 A U. S. Supreme states had dropped the Wyoming became the first that Indians were able to Court decision weakened People’s distrust of powerful businesses also influenced the way our state executive requirement that voters state to give women the vote in all states. the Voting Rights Act. It branch is organized. The writers of our constitution wanted more than the separation of own property, so all white vote. In 1910, Washington 1943/1952 For the first stopped federal oversight executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. They wanted to disperse males could vote. became the fifth state to time, in 1943, Chinese- of states that had a history 1868/1870 In 1868, grant women the vote. Americans were allowed of discrimination in their the 14th Amendment to Washington’s action to become citizens, and to voting laws. the U. S. Constitution recharged a nationwide vote. For people from India,

40 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 3 Creating Washington’s government 41 power even within the executive branch, so that no one official would have too much power. They had seen how easily public officials could be corrupted by wealthy business owners, and they wanted to make sure that our government was honest and accountable

to the voters. That’s why they created an elected Commissioner of Public Lands to protect The telegram announcing The nine separately the legacy of state-owned land. And that’s why we have nine separately elected statewide Washington’s statehood was elected statewide photo courtesy Washington State Archives sent collect — which means officials in our executive branch. that the new state governor officials in our who received it had to pay executive branch Agreement about education for it. This was the federal are: government’s way of saying “OK, you’re a grown-up But while the writers of the constitution disagreed about many things, there was state now, so you have to Attorney General one area where they all agreed: education. In fact, the most famous part of Washington’s pay your own bills.” At the constitution is this statement: same time this telegram was Auditor sent, another was sent to the It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the outgoing territorial gover- Commissioner of “ nor, who worked for the Public Lands education of all children residing within its borders, without distinction or federal government – and preference on account of race, color, caste, or sex. the federal government paid Governor ” for that one. No other state has such a strong constitutional statement about the importance of Insurance Statehood public schools. Because this is such a strong statement, courts have ruled that our state Commissioner legislature has to provide all public schools with enough money to pay for all students’ The writers of our constitution finished their work, an election was held, and the Lieutenant Governor “basic education.” It’s up to the legislature to define what “basic education” is. (People voters passed the new constitution. Then it was sent off to Washington, D. C. There Secretary of State argue about this often, because what’s “basic” changes over time. For instance, computer was just one problem: the governor forgot to sign it. So it had to be sent back to Superintendant of skills are basic to everyone’s education now, but they weren’t 25 years ago.) Olympia, signed, and sent back (by train) to the nation’s capitol. Finally, on November Public Instruction The result of Washington’s definition of education as the state’s “paramount duty,” 11, 1889, Washington became the 42nd state. Treasurer is that schools in Washington get most of their funding from the state government. In many other states, schools get most of their funding from local governments. Amendments

Also, our constitution says we must educate all children “residing” in Washington It takes two steps to amend (change) any part of our state constitution. First, – not just those who are citizens. Originally, this was meant to protect (among others) both houses of the state legislature have to pass a proposed amendment by a two- the children of the Chinese immigrants. Today, it makes it clear that immigrants from thirds majority. Second, the amendment has to be put on the ballot and passed by any country can go to our public schools. voters by a simple majority at the next general election. As of 2004, the constitution had been amended 96 times.

42 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 3 Creating Washington’s government 43 One of the most important amendments to the constitution was passed in 1912, when the initiative and referendum were added to the section on the legislative branch of government. (See page 26 for more on this subject.)

In 1972, another amendment was passed to ensure equal rights for women. It reads “Equality of rights and responsibilities under the law shall not be denied or abridged on account of sex.” This is called the Equal Rights Amendment, or ERA. It In 1972, Washington voters passed House Joint was proposed as an amendment to our national constitution, too. But an amendment Resolution (HJR) 61, the Equal Rights Amendment to our national constitution has to be passed by Congress and ratified (agreed to) by the to the state constitution. legislatures of 38 states, and the national ERA never quite achieved that goal. This is an It had been referred to the voters after having been indication of how much more difficult it is to amend our national constitution than our passed by a 2/3 majority of state constitution. the state House and Senate. Another interesting amendment was passed in 1988. Our original state constitution said we should have institutions to care for “the blind, deaf, dumb or otherwise defective youth” and the “insane and idiotic.” That language was considered normal at the time, but today we think it’s mean and insulting. Ralph Munro, who was our Secretary of State for many years, worked to pass a constitutional amendment to change it. He succeeded, and now it reads “youth who are blind or deaf or otherwise disabled”; and “persons who are mentally ill or developmentally disabled.”

Washington State Symbols

Nickname: Fish: Motto: Tartan: (Tartans are The Evergreen State Steelhead Trout “Alki”, meaning bye special plaid patterns that Tree: Animal: and bye usually represent a particular Western Hemlock Roosevelt Elk Song: family in Scotland.) Flower: Insect: “Washington, The green background Coast Rhododendron Common Green My Home” & represents rich forests; by Helen Davis the blue perpendicular Grass: Darner Dragonfly bands reflect lakes, rivers Bluebunch Wheatgrass Fossil: Folk Song: “Roll on Columbia, and ocean; white is for Arboretum: Columbian Mammoth Roll on” snow-capped mountains; Washington Park of North America by Woody Guthrie red for apple and cherry Arboretum Gem: crops; yellow for wheat Dance: Fruit: Petrified Wood and grain crops; and black Square Dance Apple Ship: for the eruption of Mount Colors: Bird: “President Washington” St. Helens Green and Gold Willow Goldfinch

44 The state we’re in: Washington 1900 – 2000: A century 4 of change

EEconomic Change In 1900, about half a million people were counted in the census in Washington. (A census is a count of how many people live here, conducted by the U. S. government once every ten years.) In the 2010 census, nearly seven million people were counted (6,897,012 people, to be exact). That’s a lot of people – and a lot of change for our state.

What we do for a living Prepared by Employment Security Department, quarterly census of employment and wages, third quarter 2012

600,000

550,000 © The Boeing Company 500,000

450,000 502,600 400,000

350,000 300,000 346,500

250,000 330,500 317,000

200,000 283,900 236,700

150,000 130,000 100,000 44,900 49,100 137,300 33,200 50,000 133,300 122,900 4,900 2,000 VERAGE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 87,900 105,300 84,200 A

agriculturmining constructionmanufacturingtransportation,wholesale warehousingr trade education INDUSTRY etail tradefinance, insuranceinformationprofessional, leisure scientific, andother hospitality, businessservices*government accommodationutilities real estate,healthcare, rental,arts, leasing social entertainment, assistance recreation

e, for (print, software, broadcast) estry

, fishing, hunting

*Includes repair and maintenance; personal and laundry services; religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations; private households. Chapter 4 A century of change 45 Imagine what it was like to live in Washington in the year 1900: People traveled on long hours with little time off. And work in the woods, mines, lumber mills and the

foot, on horses, on trains, or on boats, because cars were very rare and airplanes hadn’t fishing industry was dangerous. Many workers were hurt or killed in these jobs. photo courtesy Microsoft Corporation been invented yet. There was no electricity, so kids did their homework by candlelight. Early in the 20th century, Washington workers began organizing unions to demand Most people only went to school through the 8th grade. better pay and working conditions. Over many years, unions helped improve the lives of When kids got out of school, many worked on their families’ farms. Others got working people by winning the eight-hour day, weekends off, and better safety standards. jobs logging forests, milling lumber, mining coal, or working on a fishing boat or in a By the end of the 20th century, however, union membership was going down, and fewer fish processing plant, or helping to build fast-growing cities and towns. People worked and fewer workers were union members.

By the end of the century, life in Washington had changed dramatically. The Seattle area had become a center of medical and technical progress – home to a growing biotech- Who invented the weekend? nology industry, and famous as the hometown of Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft. At the beginning of the Sometimes, when the shut down the whole Washington and across the For much of the 20th century, Washington was also known as the place where the Boeing the Microsoft campus in Redmond 20th century, people often union couldn’t get the industry. Eventually, they country. Now only about Company built sleek, fast airplanes. In Eastern Washington, technology had transformed worked six or even seven employer to agree to the won, and the employers 15% of American workers the way people farmed, processed food, and managed livestock. But, at the same time, days a week, and they pay and conditions they signed contracts giving are union members. Still, the new importance of technology – and the decline of fishing, mining, and logging – often worked for 10 hours wanted, all the workers them an eight-hour day unions play a very important had created a gap between prosperous urban areas and struggling rural communities. a day or more. Even chil- would refuse to work. and extra pay if they had part in national, state, and At the end of the 20th century, even a high school diploma wasn’t usually enough dren often worked these This is called a strike. to work overtime. local politics. Unions endorse to get a good job; the majority of kids went on to college, vocational or technical training, long hours. In many jobs, Unions eventually created candidates, and contribute people also suffered a lot today’s standard work to their campaigns. Many or an apprenticeship. Many adults also went back to school to learn new skills. And young of injuries because there week of 40 hours – eight union members work as people from rural areas and small towns often had to move to the cities to find good jobs. were hardly any safety hours a day, with two volunteers to put up signs The changes of the 20th century brought new prosperity to many, but by the end measures. days off. Unions also won and pass out literature for of the century, there was a growing gap between rich and poor, not just in Washington, To win better pay and photo courtesy Washington State Archives pensions for people when the candidates they support, but all over the U. S. Rising medical costs were a growing problem – especially for people conditions, workers banded they get old, paid time off and encourage people whose employers didn’t pay for their health insurance. And fewer and fewer jobs provided together and formed when people are sick, pay to vote. pension benefits for people to live on when they were too old to work anymore. unions – organizations that for people who are injured In recent years, unions represent the interests of In 1917, loggers in at work, health insurance have also sponsored

Change in Washington’s natural resources photo courtesy the Department of Natural Resources workers. Unions tried to Washington went on strike paid by employers, and successful initiative The Department of Natural bargain with business because they wanted to paid time off for vacations. campaigns to raise the The 20th century also brought dramatic changes to Washington’s natural world. Resources plants trees after state forests have been cut so Huge dams were built on our rivers to produce electricity, and to provide irrigation for owners, and to get them reduce their work day For many years, the labor minimum wage, and to that there will be more trees to sign contracts spelling from ten hours to eight movement in Washington provide better pay and farms. This made farming a lot more of the land in Eastern Washington possible. But to harvest in 50 or 60 years. out how much workers hours. People who worked was very powerful. But in union membership for would be paid, how many in the mills where logs were the last half of the 20th workers who take care hours they would work, and sawed into lumber joined century, the power of of people with disabilities under what conditions. them, and together, the unions declined, both in and the elderly. loggers and mill workers

46 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 4 A century of change 47 Washington’s changing population A century and a half ago, of immigrants came from other Today, Washington’s population tribes and other populations of many of these dams blocked salmon from completing their journey from the ocean back Washington’s population was states and from many countries is still changing and growing. people of color are also growing, to their home streams to lay eggs. The dams also destroyed traditional fishing places almost all Native American. Then – mostly European, but some The Hispanic population is so that by the end of this the population of white settlers from China, Japan, the growing fastest, and in some century, no single group is that Indians had used for thousands of years. became the overwhelming Philippines, Mexico and counties, Hispanics are or will likely to comprise a majority majority, and Indian tribes other countries. soon be in the majority. Indian of Washington’s people. In the 19th century and in the early years of the 20th century, forests were logged dwindled. Over the years, waves without any thought to the future. At that time, the forests seemed so vast that it was

hard to imagine that one day they would all be cut. By the end of the 20th century, 9,000,000 forecast scarcely any of Washington’s original forests were left. Foresters had learned to replant 8,000,000

the areas they cut, but the replanted 7,000,000 areas were not the same as the forests 6,000,000 TION that grew there before, because foresters 5,000,000 planted only the trees that were most

POPULA 4,000,000 valuable for timber – not all the other 3,000,000 plants and trees that had been part of 2,000,000 the original forest. Harvesting trees also 1,000,000 disrupted many rivers and streams, which 0 did more harm to salmon. 1870 1890 1910 1930 1950 1970 1990 2010 2030 2050 YEAR Even early in the 1900s, some peo- ple began to notice that Washington’s Washington state shows strong historical population growth industries were damaging fish and streams, and polluting the water and air.

University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, neg DKinsey99 Abundant runs of salmon had already The population of Washington state by race/ethnicity A logger with a felling axe sits in the undercut of a tree in Washington. The tree was 25 feet in diameter. started to shrink. But it took a long time for people to face up to these problems. African-American (3.6%) Eventually, laws were passed that required industries to stop dumping wastes into the 12% American Indian or air and water. But it wasn’t until the last decade of the century, when Washington’s wild Alaska Native (1.5%) 10% salmon were in danger of extinction, that an all-out effort to save them finally began. Asian or 8% Pacific Islander 7.5% 11.2% The invention of the automobile also had a profound impact on our natural world. Caucasian (7.2%) 6% 77.3% Cars cause a lot of pollution – air pollution from car exhaust, and water pollution from Other race (4.7%) 4% 4.4% the oil and other fluids that leak from them, and from the materials in tires and brakes that 2.9% 2% wear off on roads and get washed into streams. Cars also require a lot of pavement for Two or more races (4.7%)

roads, freeways and parking lots. And where there is pavement, rain can’t soak into the 0% 1980 1990 2000 2010

Washington state population by race Hispanic population based on US Census Bureau 2010 data as a percentage of total population

48 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 4 A century of change 49 photo courtesy Washington State Archives

Saving Wild Salmon ground. Instead, all that rainwater goes somewhere else – it runs into drains, which often gush into lakes or streams, carrying pollutants and disrupting the natural flow of water. The more people move to our state – and the more we drive – the bigger governments all hire a lot these problems become. of fish biologists and other scientists to help figure out The way people lived was part of the prob- the best ways to restore wild lem, too. With every passing decade, people used salmon runs. more electricity and gas, and lived in bigger houses Fishing was We can all do something to that took more lumber to build. People also created a major industry help. People can volunteer to in Washington more and more garbage. And there were more and for much of the help restore salmon habitats, more of us. Urban areas sprawled outward, eating 20th century. and conserve water in farms, up more land, and needing more parking lots factories and homes. We can and roads. stop using harmful pesticides and fertilizers on our lawns. photo courtesy Leslie Hoge Design Citizens who cared about these problems We can let our elected officials This highway is filled with organized to find solutions, and to urge federal, bumper-to-bumper traffic know what we think they during rush hour every day. state, tribal, county and city governments to take photo courtesy Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife should do. If everyone works action. Starting in the 1960s, photo courtesy Weyerhaeuser Co. together, there is hope for these organizations won important victories (including the creation of For thousands of years rivers no longer have enough up with plans to restore wild wild salmon. salmon have lived in water to support salmon in salmon. But state government the state’s Department of Ecology) and helped educate people about Washington’s waters. But late summer. And in the is just one of many partners To learn more go to: the problems. Important new laws were passed to reduce the amount of pollution industries could create, and to clean up the most danger- now they have disappeared winter, floods sometimes in this effort. Indian tribes, www.rco.wa.gov/salmon from about half of our rivers destroy salmon eggs or wash the federal government, the The Governor’s Salmon ously polluted areas. But governments were hard-pressed to make and creeks, and wild salmon young fish out to sea. When governments of other states Recovery Office enough progress to offset continuing population growth, and continuing runs in other rivers and it rains, oil from roads, and where salmon live, local growth in the number of cars, parking lots, and freeways. www.wdfw.wa.gov/recovery streams are much smaller pesticides from our farms governments, and citizens’ The Washington Preserving and restoring the health of the natural world was than they used to be. and yards are washed into groups are all involved. Department of Fish difficult for other reasons, too. People need jobs, and sometimes this There are many reasons why the streams and rivers. Tribal governments are and Wildlife need conflicts with the desire to save wild fish, or preserve forests. wild salmon are in trouble. So many people are worried especially important because Loggers want to cut trees, because their families and communities Some people blame the about salmon that in 1998 of their special relationship www.nwifc.org depend on their income. Fishermen – both Indian and non-Indian – problem on too much fishing, the state legislature passed with salmon, and because The Northwest Indian want to fish, for the same reason. And governments have to figure out but there are other reasons, The Salmon Recovery the federal court has declared Fisheries Commission A second growth forest that their treaty rights make how to pay for cleaning up pollution and saving salmon at a time when they also need managed by a forest too. Many of the freshwater Planning Act. Governor www.psp.wa.gov products company. them “co-managers” of to spend more money on schools and colleges, care for the elderly, and other services rivers and streams where Locke called together the Puget Sound Partnership salmon begin and end their leaders of several state agen- salmon, on an equal footing for nearly seven million people. lives have been dammed, cies (called the Joint Natural with the state. Today tribal, polluted, or blocked. Some Resources Cabinet) to come local, state and federal

50 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 4 A century of change 51 Who made your shoes? Washington State international trade representatives International trade is a big imports stay in Washington, family a plot of land within the reservation, and then sold off some of the remaining Seoul, South Korea part of both our past and our though – look at the labels land to white settlers. The idea of this policy was to make more land available to future. One out of three jobs on your clothing, shoes, Tokyo, Japan London, Paris and Munich (Europe) white settlers – and to try to make Indians be more like white people. Instead of in our state depends on interna- and even the pots and pans Shanghai, China tional trade. Our airplanes, in your kitchen, and you Taipei, Taiwan sharing land, they wanted Indians to adopt the idea of each person or family owning “A treaty is not a Mexico City, computer software, wheat, apples, will get an idea of just how Mexico their own land. Instead of hunting, fishing and gathering, they wanted Indians to grant of rights to the cherries, medical technologies, much we import. become farmers. In fact, a lot of people thought Indians should just disappear into Indians, but a grant lumber and other services and For Washington, the tradition the larger society. They didn’t think that Indian culture, history, or languages would products are exported to many of international trade began a of rights from them.” other countries. very long time ago. Indian survive, because there weren’t very many Indians left. Across the country, millions of Federal District Court Washington also plays an nations traded with each other Graphic courtesy Washington State Department of Commerce Indians had died of diseases that Europeans brought with them, such as smallpox Judge Edward Rafeedie, December, 1994 important role in importing for thousands of years. Then, and measles, and more had died during conflicts with the U. S. military and forced goods from other countries. in 1825, the Hudson’s Bay Seattle together are the third Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, relocations from their land. A lot of the imports come on Company established Fort largest in the country, and they and China. are actually closer to Asian ports The State of Washington huge ships to our ports, and are Vancouver, and began to trade After about forty years, the Dawes Act was reversed, but by then it had already then loaded onto trucks or in furs. Ever since, international than those in California. Our has an International Trade done a lot of damage. Instead of being a single, large tract of land, most reservations trains to be transported all trade has grown in importance. state has trade offices in Mexico, Division in the Washington Germany, England, France, State Department of Commerce over the country. Some of the NEWThe ports of Tacoma and had become checkerboards of land owned by Indians and by settlers. Some of the land that helps Washington businesses was eventually returned to the tribes, but most of it was not. learn how to export their Washington’s top Australia (2%) Mexico Indonesia (2%) UK Hong South China (19%) (4%) (2%) Kong Korea products. The International During this time, it was nearly impossible for Indians to maintain their traditional export markets U.A.E. (7%) (3%) (5%) Germany Taiwan Trade Division also organizes (3%) (2%) forms of government. The federal government basically ran the reservations, visits to other countries to Other (28%) Canada (11%) Japan (12%) promote trade, and sometimes through an agency called the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), which is part of the the governor leads these trade U. S. Department of the Interior. BIA agents ordered Indian children to go to boarding Gathering shellfish on the tidelands delegations. schools – often far away from their home reservations – where they were not allowed to speak their own language. The BIA also had the power to lease Indian lands to Source: WISERTrade, 2012 mining companies, to dissolve tribal governments, and to decide if and when Indians could sell their land.

In 1934, the U. S. Congress passed the Indian Reorganization Act. This law Change in relationships between tribal and state/local governments encouraged the re-formation of tribal governments, and allowed the return of holding land in common for the whole tribe. Many tribes thought this was an important step In the 1850s, when the treaties were signed, the U. S. regarded Indian tribes in the right direction, but there were some problems with the Act. Tribes who chose as nations. Treaties are, by definition, agreements between nations. This made to form governments under the terms of this legislation were required to adopt tribal photo courtesy Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission tribes nations within a nation. But tribes didn’t have the power to make the constitutions that followed a model set out by the federal government. They also federal or state government respect the terms of the treaties. So many of the had to agree to govern by majority rule rather than the traditional way of taking promises made to Indians in the treaties were soon broken. time to reach consensus.

In 1887, the U. S. Congress passed the Dawes Act, which said that Indian reservations should be broken up. The federal government assigned each Indian

52 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 4 A century of change 53 In some respects, the tribal constitutions adopted under this law During the 1960s and early 1970s, a long struggle over Indian fishing rights pitted were really designed more for the convenience of the federal govern- Indians against the Washington state government. State game wardens arrested and ment than for the benefit of the tribes. Federal agencies wanted to fought with Indians who tried to fish in their usual and accustomed places. deal with tribal governments that met federal deadlines – not with In 1979, the U. S. Supreme Court ruled that federal and state governments had traditional tribal practices that meant taking the time to make to keep the promise in the treaties that said Indians would always be able to fish in decisions when the members of a tribe came to an agreement. common with settlers. In 1974, Judge George Boldt had ruled that the Indians should In traditional Indian societies, spiritual practices were woven into get half the salmon harvest; the Supreme Court upheld his decision. the way people governed themselves. Spiritual and hereditary leaders The Indian Self-Determination Act and the Boldt decision were important turning were very important. But these traditions were also pushed aside by points. The federal government finally recognized that Indians were not going to the new constitutions. Burbank Country School, 1901 disappear, and that in spite of everything that had happened to them, Indians There was another problem, too: to adopt this kind of constitu- retained their own cultures, history, and identity. Indian tribes – and their tion, and to govern by voting, tribes had to define who was a tribal governments – are a permanent part of the United States. The treaties that member. Before settlers came, this wasn’t an issue, because people the U. S. government signed with tribes are the law of the land. simply participated in the life of the tribe they lived in. People married Since the 1970s, both the federal and state governments have begun to across tribes, so it was common for kids to have parents from create “government to government” relationships with tribes. This is a return to different tribes, or for a husband to participate in the life of his wife’s the idea, embodied in the treaties, that Indian tribes are nations within a nation tribe if that was who they lived with. But once tribal government – that they have a right to govern themselves as they choose, and to protect photo courtesy Debbie Preston, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission became more structured, people had to formally enroll in one tribe, and preserve their culture and traditions. and one tribe only. photo courtesy Washington State Historical Society, Tacoma In 1953, federal policy towards Indians took another terrible turn: the U. S. Congress The changing challenges of government adopted the “Termination Policy.” The aim of this policy was “to make Indians . . . subject Education in 2013 As you can imagine, all the changes of the 20th century had a big to the same laws and entitled to the same privileges and responsibilities as are applicable impact on our governments – state, tribal, and local – not to mention our to other citizens of the United States, (and) to end their status as wards of the United national government. As you can see, the challenge of governing the state States.” To do this, reservations were to be abolished, and tribal governments wiped away. changed a lot in 100 years. During the 20th century, our state went from Once again, the federal government wanted Indians to give up their culture, their history, being a remote, wild place to being a leader in life sciences, technology, and their identity. This time, they didn’t push for Indians to become farmers; instead, agriculture, and international trade. Our governments grew and changed along they encouraged Indians to move into cities and towns. with our population. There was more for governments to do – and more costs The termination policy was reversed in 1970, and in 1975 a new law called the for taxpayers to pay. At the beginning of the century, we only had to pay for Indian Self-Determination Act was passed. It gave tribes much more power to govern educating a few thousand kids through the 8th grade. Only a few of these themselves. For the first time, tribes were able to run some of their own health, educa- students ever went to college. By the end of the century, government needed photo courtesy of Kent School District tion, housing, and social services programs, and to make more decisions in tribal courts. money to pay for schools for nearly a million students in kindergarten through

54 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 4 A century of change 55 high school – and about half of them went on to community and technical colleges or four-year universities. By the end of the century, we also needed more roads, more money for health care, more services for people with disabilities and the elderly, and more jails, police and firefighters.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Washington state government’s annual budget was about $30 million in today’s dollars; by the end of the century, it was about $11 billion a year.

Science and Technology

Nearly all of the jobs in the 21st century economy require that people learn more math and science than their parents needed to learn, because new scientific discoveries and new technologies are constantly changing the way we do things. Being a good citizen also requires more knowledge of science and math than it used to, because new scientific advances

photo © Western Washington University present us with important moral questions. Do we want to Students at the Vehicle Research Institute at eat genetically engineered plants and animals? Should there Western Washington University build award-winning be laws against cloning animals or humans? What should we experimental vehicles known for fuel economy and safety. do to reduce the impact of climate change? To make good More and more of Washington’s economy depends on the decisions about these questions, we have to know enough work of scientists. And in almost every job, scientific advances science to understand what will happen when we choose a are affecting what people need to know to use the tools, course of action. materials, and technologies in today’s workplaces. But many There are special programs to help and encourage young employers complain that not enough young people are learn- people who are interested in math and science. These ing math and science and choosing science-based careers. programs try to help kids see that math and science are for One of the most exciting areas of growth in Washington’s everyone, and that you don’t have to be a genius to learn economy is “green jobs” – that is, jobs in industries like bio- them. There are also special college scholarships for young fuels or solar and wind energy that reduce pollution and oil people who are interested in math and science – and for use. There are also “green jobs” in the construction industry, those who want to teach these subjects in public schools. where people are finding ways to use fewer resources and These opportunities have been created because Washington’s produce houses and buildings that use less energy. future prosperity will depend on having people with strong math and science skills.

56 The state we’re in: Washington Governing 5 Washington today GGoverning Washington today may be more complicated than it was a hundred years ago, but the basic structure of our government is still the same. Our form of government has been flexible enough to change with the times, and stable enough to prevent The people of this state change from being too sudden or extreme. That’s mainly because our national and do not yield their sover- state constitutions have provided a strong foundation that has stood the test of time. eignty to the agencies The basic ideas in our constitutions – regular democratic elections, separation of which serve them. The powers, the rule of law, and clearly defined rights and responsibilities for citizens – people, in delegating have become deeply ingrained in our way of life. authority, do not give The founding principles and practices in both our state and national constitutions their public servants the are reflected in today’s state government. right to decide what is good for the people to The legislature know and what is not The legislature has two halves – the House of Representatives, and the Senate. good for them to know. The people insist on Our national government’s legislative branch is organized the same way, so remaining informed so sometimes people get confused about which Senate is the U. S. Senate, and which one is the state Senate. There’s a big difference! that they may retain control over the The U. S. Senate and the U. S. House of Representatives make laws for the instruments they have whole United States, but our state Senate and House of Representatives make laws created. only for the state of Washington.

RCW 42.30.010, a portion of the law known as the “Open Meetings Act,” passed by the legislature in 1971.

Chapter 5 Governing Washington today 57 ANCH The executive branch of BR government, which administers VE state agencies and enforces state I laws, is headed by nine Our state is divided into 49 legislative districts. The people in each of these districts T Attorney U Lieutenant independently elected officials. elect one state senator and two state representatives. State senators serve for four year C Governor General E terms, but representatives are elected every two years. X E Secretary Superintendent Making the Laws of State of Public The courts of the state constitute Instruction The state legislature meets every year beginning in January. Every other year, they the judical branch of government. Governor Nine justices comprise the must agree on a two-year state budget. This two-year period is called a biennium. In Supreme Court, and this court has the year when they must agree on a biennial budget, the legislative session lasts longer Commissioner Insurance general administrative power over of Public Lands Commissioner all other courts in the state. –usually 105 days. In the second year of the biennium, the legislative session is shorter, and usually ends after 60 days. Sometimes legislators don’t finish their work in this CI JUDI AL BR amount of time. When this happens – or when an important issue comes up at other AN times of the year – they have special sessions that can last anywhere from one to Auditor Treasurer C H 30 days. SUPREME COURT 9 justices Both the House and the Senate divide into committees, and each committee studies this court has general administrative power over all other courts in the state proposals to change the laws in a specific area. There are Senate and House committees Washington state’s on public schools, transportation, health and human services, agriculture, local government, COURT OF APPEALS energy, trade and economic development, the environment, and other topics. government hears appeals from all lower courts Consists of 3 separate but equal branches. Voters in Washington state elect citizens SUPERIOR COURTS to fill these positions general purpose courts Kids as legislators, trial lawyers, and legislative staff The Olympian DISTRICT COURTS MUNICIPAL COURTS If you want to know what it’s like to be a state leg- If you’re interested in either created by counties created by cities minor crimes & disputes islator, the YMCA Youth and Government program of these programs, contact is just for you. Students meet for several months to your local YMCA. learn how to research and develop legislation, and Another way for students to then hold a four-day mock legislative session in learn about the legislature is Olympia. Each student assumes the role of a house to apply to be a page. A

SENATE member, a senator, or a state elected official such as page is a student (age 14-17) photo by Ron Soliman, May 8, 2004, reprinted courtesy governor or secretary of state. who works for the Senate or House of The YMCA also has a program for kids who are Representatives in Olympia for one week during a HOUSE OF interested in the law. Teams of students prepare legislative session. Pages deliver messages and do REPRESENTATIVES Legislative power is shared by the a mock case for trial, and act as attorneys and other duties, and also participate in special classes people of Washington and their H elected members of the witnesses. A real judge, in a real courtroom, hears where they learn how the legislature works. If C legislature. The people act their case, and a “jury” of real attorneys rates teams you’re interested in applying to be a page, contact N through the Washington system of A for their presentation. one of your two house members or your senator. R initiative and referendum. The B legislature determines what new E IV laws are needed and how state photos of the capitol building courtesy Washington state Department General Administration; legislature photo Senate Photo T government shall be financed. Chapter 5 Governing Washington today 58 LEGISLA 59 When a legislator wants to write a new law or change an existing law, he or Legislative Districts in Washington state she introduces a bill that spells out what should be changed. First the bill is sent to a committee, where committee members study it. The committees hold public hearings 42 Whatcom on bills so that citizens and lobbyists can say what they think about it. The committee

San 40 Pend N Juan Okanogan may also change the bill. This is called amending it. If the bill will cost money, it goes 7 Oreille Skagit Ferry Stevens to a special committee that writes the budget. Then the bill goes to the full House 10 Bipartisan: Island 39 or Senate. If the House votes to pass the bill, then it goes to the Senate; when the Clallam 12 38 Snohomish supported by members 44 Senate passes a bill, then it goes to the House. Bills can be amended in the full House 21 Chelan 1 of two political parties; Jefferson 32 4 23 45 Douglas and Senate, too. 36 46 3 43 48 6 in our case, this means 24 Lincoln Kitsap 41 5 34 37 Spokane Both the Senate and the House have to pass a bill with exactly the same wording supported by both Mason 33 11 King 26 47 35 27 before it can become law. If they have different versions of the same bill, they have to Republicans and Grays 30 25 Harbor 22 28 31 Kittitas Grant Democrats. (“Bi” means 29 work out the differences, and then vote on it again. 13 Adams 2 Pierce Whitman two; “partisan” means 9 Thurston After both the House and the Senate pass a bill, it goes to the Governor. He or someone who supports Pacific Lewis she can either sign the bill into law, or veto it. (There’s more about this in a few pages, a particular cause or 19 Franklin Garfield Yakima 8 political party.) So “a Wahkiakum 20 15 when we get to the section on the Executive Branch.) Columbia Benton Walla Asotin Cowlitz 14 16 bipartisan solution” Walla As you can imagine, it’s not easy to get a bill passed through this long and Skamania would be one supported

18 Klickitat complicated process. And even when legislators do get a bill passed, they still have by both Republicans Clark Legislative District 17 49 County to persuade the governor to sign it before it can become law. In fact, this system is and Democrats. Water purposely designed to make it pretty difficult to pass a new law, because it’s important for people to take their time and think carefully about the laws they are making. It’s Puget Sound Island 38 44 Spokane Area 10 Jefferson Stevens Our state is divided into 49 also important for the public to have time to hear about bills, and tell their legislators 21 7 39 4 24 1 legislative districts, and the how they want them to vote. Snohomish people in each of these dis- 32 3 In spite of this complicated system, hundreds of bills pass and become law during 23 tricts elect one state senator 46 45 6 Spokane and two state representatives. every legislative session — and most of them pass with bipartisan support. In spite of Kitsap 36 43 48 the strong role of political parties, there are a lot of bills that people in both parties 9 State senators serve four year 35 terms, but representatives agree on. 37 41 Vancouver Area are elected every two years. 34 King Cowlitz 11 20 5 Political parties in Washington 33 47 Clark 26 The two main political parties are the Democrats (www.wa-democrats.org) and the Republicans (www.wsrp.org). 18 30 17 14 However, there are many other political parties, too. The Secretary of State’s office has a list of them on its web site at Skamania 27 49 www.secstate.wa.gov 31 28 29 25 Pierce The list includes the Libertarian Party, the Reform Party, the Constitution Party and the Green Party, among others, and information about how to contact them. Most political parties have web sites. For more information: Prepared by: Nick Pharris, Elections Information Specialist Elections Division, Office of the Secretary of State http://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/guide/legislative.aspx/ Data Sources: Census 2010 TIGER/Line® Files, Washington State Redistricting Commission

60 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 5 Governing Washington today 61 How an idea becomes a law:

The legislature’s biggest job: Someone has an idea – they think a the state budget and taxes 1 new law should be made, or an existing law should be changed. The The state budget is very complicated. There are many different sources person who has the idea might be of money, and it gets put in many separate accounts. The main budget – the governor or some other elected official, or it might be a business or 5 called the operating budget – is used to keep schools, colleges, prisons, The committee chair decides union leader or any other ordinary and state agencies running. There is also a capital budget for building citizen. whether the committee will consider the bill. If the chair new buildings, and a transportation budget for building highways, chooses to, he or she bridges, public transit and ferries. There are also many dedicated funds – schedules a public hearing 2 on the bill. A public hearing these are special accounts for a specific purpose. For example, there is a The legislator who is going to is a meeting where anyone dedicated fund for cleaning up oil spills, and the money for that fund introduce the proposed law can come and tell the or change (called a bill) asks committee what they think comes from a tax on oil that is refined or transported through our state. someone on their staff to about the bill. Then the write a first draft. Usually, the committee discusses it. They Most of the money in the state budget comes from taxes paid by draft is reviewed by the may decide to amend (or people who live, work, and shop in Washington. When we buy things, we people who asked the state legislator to change) it. Then they vote introduce it. Sometimes other people who to either send it to the full pay sales tax. If we own property, we pay property taxes. Businesses also have an interest in the topic are asked to House or Senate for a vote, pay various kinds of taxes. Some money also comes from fees for things review it, too, and to say whether they think or to kill it. it can get enough votes to pass. A bill like fishing and hunting licenses. may be revised many times before it is ever introduced. 6 Every two years, there are lively debates about how much to spend Even bills that pass out of committee don’t 8 for public schools, colleges and universities, social and health services, and always get voted on by the full House or protection of the environment, among other things. Senate. The Rules Committee decides which 3 bills will be voted on, and when. At this There are equally lively debates about whether to raise or lower taxes, stage, legislative leaders may decide to hold Once a bill is drafted, it goes to the and whether to change the kinds of taxes that people and businesses pay. Code Reviser’s office, where people off on voting on a bill while people try to who are experts on Washington law resolve any arguments they have about it. go over it. They make sure it is They rarely bring a bill up for a vote until When a bill has passed both The Role of Political Parties technically correct, and decide they know that enough people agree on it the House and Senate, it where it would fit in to the Revised for it to pass the full House or Senate. goes to the Governor. The Political parties have a lot to do with how the legislature works. In both Code of Washington — the body of Governor can sign it into law, 7 or veto it. If the Governor the House and the Senate, the political party that has the most members – laws of our state. Finally, a bill that has cleared all these hurdles vetoes it, both the House comes up for a vote in the full House or Senate. the majority party – has more power. The majority party’s leaders choose and the Senate can override If it passes, then it starts the whole process over the veto if they pass the bill who will chair each of the committees. Committee chairs are almost always again in the opposite house. Once again, it is by a two-thirds majority. introduced, referred to a committee, discussed members of the majority party. This is important because the committee When the Governor signs a in committee, referred back to the Rules chair decides which bills the committee will study and vote on. If the The legislator who is going to introduce bill into law, there is almost Committee and then to the full House or the bill may pass it around to other always a special ceremony. committee chair doesn’t like a bill, he or she can simply decide not to 4 Senate. It can be amended along the way. If legislators to see if they want to be The Governor invites the the House and Senate bring it up in committee. co-sponsors. Then the bill is introduced in people who worked to pass pass versions of the either the House or the Senate, and the law to her or his office. bill that aren’t exactly referred to a committee. For instance, all They all have their picture the same, they have bills that will affect public schools are sent taken together, and the to work out the to the Education Committee; all bills Governor gives one differences and pass dealing with roads go to the of them the pen the bill over again. Transportation Committee, and so forth. that he or she 62 uses to sign it. Chapter 5 Governing Washington today 63 photo of the capitol building courtesy of Washington State Department of General Administration; photos 5, 7, & 8 courtesy of the Washington State Senate We pay taxes to the federal government, to state government, and to our local governments. The majority party also gets to choose who will be the chair for meetings of the full

House or Senate. In the House, the person in charge is called the Speaker of the House. The charts on this page 28% of our state budget state has to abide by In the chart on the right The Senate is a little bit different: the Lieutenant Governor is the presiding officer of the show where our STATE is actually money from federal rules about how you can see the biggest Senate, and leads the Senate through the process of voting on bills. But the Senate Majority government gets its the taxes we pay to the the money is spent. In part of the budget is Leader – the leader of the majority party – is the most powerful person in the Senate, money, and how the federal government. The some cases the state has spent on public schools, because he or she (along with other top leaders of his or her political party) controls who money is spent. federal government to “match” the federal colleges, and universities. is assigned to chair and sit on committees, and what bills will come up for a vote. The chart on the left sends some of our tax money. For instance, in Most of the spending on

In both the House and the Senate, political parties have caucuses – that is, all the shows that just under dollars back to state and the Medicaid program human services is for representatives or senators of one party meet to discuss specific issues or bills, and to half of the money to run local governments for for long term care and people who are elderly, state government comes certain purposes. The people with disabilities, those who have physical decide how to vote on them. No one else is allowed to come to these meetings. from taxes we pay to federal government the federal government or mental disabilities, the state. sends this money with pays about half the cost children, and people who In the same chart, you “strings attached,” and the state pays the need help to overcome can also see that about which means that the other half. poverty.

When is a majority enough?

Most of the time, democracy operates on the An initiative passed by the voters in 2010 principle of majority rule. That means decisions are required a 2/3 vote of the legislature to raise taxes, Where state government How the state made by a “simple majority” of 50% plus one (or but it was thrown out because it tried to set this gets its money spends its money

more). But our state constitution says that some requirement in an ordinary law. The court ruled colleges and decisions need more than a majority. If the legisla- that the only way to create such a requirement universities federal ture wants to amend the constitution, it requires a would be to amend the constitution. So far, the funding public 15.6% 2/3 majority of the legislature – that is, a yes vote legislature hasn’t passed a constitutional amend- schools sales tax 28% by 2/3 plus one (or more) members. A constitu- ment to do this. 22.8% 21.7% tional amendment then goes to the voters, who If a 2/3 majority is required, it means that there taxes 43.4% business & 33.7% must approve it by a simple majority. is really strong support for whatever is being occupation natural tax 9.5% resources 4.6% 18.5% The constitution also says that certain other passed. But it also means that a minority of only human governmental licenses, 11.9% services decisions require a 60% vote by the legislature. 1/3 plus one can control the outcome. This is why permits & operations 7.4% charges for state share of interest on Increasing the state debt for construction projects it’s important to restrict supermajority require- property taxes services 5.6% debts/other 5.1% is one example; expanding gambling is another. ments. other taxes borrowing 6.2% 5.5% other transportation sources 3.9%

64 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 5 Governing Washington today 65 Who owns the water? Usually, members of one party stick together, because they have more power when they do, and because they share the same philosophy about what government The dams also ruined many traditional Indian should do. But sometimes there are strong disagreements within a political party, and fishing places. occasionally legislators vote with the opposite party. Most of the time, this is not a big It is extremely difficult to settle conflicts over problem. But sometimes, when the issue is important and the vote is close, people get water. The state grants water rights – the right Washington’s capitol very upset about a legislator not voting with their caucus. When this happens, the cau- to drill wells or take water from a river. The building in Olympia was cus leader may find a way to punish the person who strays from the party position. For state has to be careful not to grant too many the last state capitol instance, that person might not get the committee assignments they want, or a bill they water rights, or the rivers and wells will run dry. building to be built want passed might not be brought up for a vote. But people get very angry if they have to wait a with a rotunda, a round building with a dome. long time for a permit to drill a well, or if they Legislative Staff are told they can’t. The federal government built many of the As Washington has grown, the number of people who work for the state legislature Washington State Archives photo has grown, too. Both the House and the Senate have experts to advise them about the Grand Coulee Dam dams, so it is involved in the debates about water, too. Indian tribes also have important complicated state budget, and about issues such as the environment, transportation, Nothing is more basic to all life than water. legal rights to water on reservations. And federal Without it, we would die in just a few days. laws to protect wild salmon say that we have to But as our population grows – and as our farms, have enough cold, clean water in the rivers and ranches, and orchards grow – the demand for streams to protect salmon from dying out. Teen Driving Restrictions Save Lives water has become a big problem. There just aren’t any easy answers to these In every state legislative session for the past conflicts. As our state’s population grows, licensed driver who is 25 or A similar law passed in fifteen years, there have been debates about these disputes will become even more difficult. older, or unless they have to Florida in 1995 reduced water. Some people want more water to irrigate drive very early in the the number of deaths and Federal, tribal, state and local governments will their farms and orchards. Others want more photo courtesy Leslie Hoge Design morning because they work injuries caused by teen all have to work together to find solutions, and water for cities and towns. And some people FATAL TRAFFIC COLLISIONS can’t have any passengers on a farm, orchard or ranch. drivers. By 2004, 33 states even then, no one is likely to be fully satisfied. want to leave more water in streams and rivers INVOLVING TEENAGE DRIVERS under age 20 in the car After one year of driving – had adopted laws like this. to help salmon and other fish survive. ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF unless they are family with no tickets or accidents For more information about Over two-thirds of the electricity we use comes DEATH FOR PEOPLE BETWEEN members. After six months, – these restrictions are this, take a look at the Teen from the dams that have been built across our THE AGES OF 15 AND 20. drivers under the age of 18 dropped. But if drivers Page of the state Department rivers. Some of the dams were originally built to To reduce this risk, the are allowed to have three under the age of 18 get two of Licensing web site at: provide water for irrigation. These dams made Washington legislature passengers under the age traffic tickets, their license is www.dol.wa.gov/ passed a law in 1999 that of 20 who are not family a lot of the agriculture in Eastern Washington suspended for six months, driverslicense/teens.html. restricts teen driving. The members. Teens under 18 possible. Today, their role as producers of elec- and if they get a third ticket, law says that for the first six are also not allowed to drive tricity is also vital. However, some dams – like they lose their license until months after a teen gets a between 1 AM and 5 AM the Grand Coulee Dam – block the passage of they turn 18. driver’s license, he or she unless they are with a fish from their spawning grounds to the sea. photo courtesy Erik Bakke

66 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 5 Governing Washington today 67 The public’s right things hidden from view. in on some secrets – it on. The initiative passed. a separate profession of politicians; they wanted the legislature to really be “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” to know The term “transparency” is namely, where politicians In 1973, the initiative resulted used to mean the same and lobbyists got their money, Disclosure: to reveal or in the creation of the It’s getting harder, though, for state legislators to keep their regular jobs while they thing. (“Transparent” means and how they spent it. expose something that was state Public Disclosure are serving in the legislature. Over time, as the state’s population has grown and our you can see through some- unknown or secret; for The initiative required all Commission. Now candidates society has become more complex, the work of making laws for the state has grown, too. thing; a window, for instance you could disclose candidates for office to report for office and lobbyists have It takes more and more of legislators’ time to attend longer sessions of the legislature, to instance, is transparent.) what’s in a box by taking the where their personal income to file reports so the public go to committee meetings that are held in between sessions, and to learn all they need lid off. In discussions about Washington’s Public came from, and who gave can see who’s supporting to know about complicated issues. It also takes time to run campaigns so that they can You can watch! government, when people Disclosure how much to their campaigns. whom, and who’s lobbying get elected or re-elected. talk about “public disclosure” It also required lobbyists to for what. You can read their TVW is a television net- Commission Legislators are paid about $45,000 a year – and they get extra money for transpor- they are talking about making report where they got their reports on the PDC web site work that broadcasts In 1972, the Coalition for tation and living expenses when they travel to special meetings and to regular legislative sure the public can see what’s money, how much they at www.pdc.wa.gov. many state government Open Government wrote sessions. Some legislators live on this amount of money; many still have other jobs as going on, rather than having spent, and what they spent events. On TVW you an initiative to let the public well. can watch lawyers present cases to the How state legislators are elected state Supreme Court, observe the legislature Ordinary people can run for and get elected to the state legislature. Since there debate issues and pass and education. Part of the staff is non-partisan; that is, these staff people are not allied are only about 120,000 people in a legislative district, campaigns for the legislature new laws, and see press are usually pretty low-budget, local affairs. The main ways candidates try to get people with either political party, and they work for all the legislators. But the party caucuses in conferences with the to vote for them are: the Senate and the House also have their own, partisan staff that is loyal to the caucus Governor and other they work for. Doorbelling – this means the candidate walks up to people’s houses or apartments, state officials. TVW There are also staff people who publish all the schedules of committee meetings, rings their doorbell, and tries to chat with residents about why they should vote for also has a web site distribute all the bills that are introduced, and keep records of everything. the candidate. Sometimes candidates get their friends to doorbell for them, too. (http://tvw.org/) where you can find past Candidate forums are public meetings where all the candidates for office are events and listen to The part-time legislature invited to give speeches about why they are running for office, and to answer them or watch them on questions from the audience. These are often carried on local TV stations. Being a state senator or representative is a part-time job, because the legislature your computer. usually meets for only two or three months a year. Most of our state legislators have Yard signs are used to make sure everyone knows the candidate’s name, and to You can look at the TV regular jobs, or run their own farms or businesses, and take time off to go to Olympia show that a lot of people are supporting them. listings in your local for the two or three months when the legislature is in session. News coverage in local newspapers, and sometimes on radio or TV stations, newspaper to find out what channel TVW is The people who wrote our state constitution wanted it this way, because they helps candidates become better known to voters. thought people who worked at regular jobs would make better laws — laws that on in your community. really served the needs of ordinary people like themselves. They didn’t want to create

68 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 5 Governing Washington today 69 High standards for our students and schools Endorsements are like sponsorships from unions, business associations, or advo- In the 1980s, people state academic standards cacy groups like environmental or civil rights organizations. When an organization worried that students in for reading and math. endorses a candidate, they urge all their members to vote for that person, and they public schools weren’t Now there are usually contribute money to the candidate’s campaign. learning enough. A high debates about how to Paid political advertising in newspapers, or on radio or TV, is becoming a larger school diploma just didn’t use the test results, and part of legislative campaigns. Because it is so much more expensive than any of the mean very much, because whether we are testing other ways people campaign, it is driving up the cost of running for the legislature. many graduates didn’t students too much, too have the reading, writing, little, or the right People complain that these campaigns are getting more expensive to run, but or math skills they needed amount. Should teachers compared to statewide or national political campaigns, they will always be small potatoes. photo courtesy Leslie Hoge Design to get good jobs or to be be judged by how well Running for the state legislature is still within the reach of any ordinary citizen who has good citizens. their students do on the tests? What should we do a reputation for caring about their community, and enough friends and supporters to In 1993, the legislature passed a major school about schools that have bad test results year after help them run a good campaign. Often, people don’t get elected the first time they run, reform act that set academic standards that all year? What should happen for students when they but if they keep trying, and more people get to know them, they succeed on their The YMCA Youth in Government program students should meet to graduate from high school. don’t pass the tests? second or third try. Tests were developed to see if students met the stan- These are questions that teachers, principals, Most (but not all) of the people who run for the legislature dards. The first tests were called WASLs. They were school leaders and legislators continue to wrestle have some previous experience in government. They may have long and thorough tests that included quite a bit of with. The goal is, as it’s been for many years, to served on a local city council, or been active in local school writing. Some teachers and parents complained that create a school system where all students can learn committees or other candidates’ political campaigns. the tests took up too much time, so now there are and thrive, and prepare for success in their adult lives. shorter tests. There are also national rather than Usually, people get elected to the House of Representatives first, and then run for a state Senate seat a few years later, when they are more experienced. Moving from the House to the Senate is considered a promotion because there are twice as Fundraisers are like parties; the host invites a lot of people, and provides snacks many members in the House of Representatives as there are in and drinks. The candidate comes and “works the room,” that is, he or she goes the Senate. (One senator per legislative district = 49 senators; around meeting people, shaking their hands, and chatting with as many of them as two representatives per legislative district = 98 members of the photo provided by Washington YMCA Youth & Government possible. Then the candidate gives a little speech about why he or she is running for House of Representatives.) In the Senate, where there are only half as many voting office, and what he or she intends to do if elected. Finally, the host asks everyone members, each vote carries twice the weight. People also prefer to serve in the to contribute to the candidate’s election campaign fund, work on their campaign, Senate because Senators only have to run for re-election every four years rather and to vote for them. than every two years.

Mailings of brochures about the candidate are sent – usually only to registered voters – in the candidate’s district. In many campaigns, writing, designing, printing and mailing these brochures is the most expensive part of the campaign.

70 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 5 Governing Washington today 71 The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) Many state legislators also go on to run for local offices that are full-time jobs, The Department DSHS is the biggest state agency; it has many thousand such as county commissioner or (in bigger cities) city council members. Others run of Licensing for higher offices such as Governor, Lands Commissioner, State Supreme Court employees in offices all over the state. It is responsible for About 1,335 people work Justice, or U. S. Representative or Senator. helping people in need of emergency help or health care, at the Department of making sure that people with disabilities and the elderly get Licensing. In offices all The Executive Branch the services they need, protecting children from abuse and over the state, they license neglect, and taking care of the state’s most difficult juvenile photo courtesy Family Policy Council Washington’s executive branch is different from many other states’. In most drivers, cars, trucks and delinquents. states, the governor is one of three or four state elected officials, so he or she has a boats. They also license administration payments to support other agencies businesses, and hundreds lot of power. In Washington, the governor is one of nine statewide elected officials. (<1%) (2%) of professions ranging mental (The reason for this is explained in the section on the state constitution in Chapter 3.) health from accountants to children’s administration But while Washington’s governor may have less power than governors in most manicurists to wrestlers. 14% (protection from abuse, 18% family support, foster care) other states, our governor still has a lot to do. The governor writes the first draft of And they license facilities long term care DSHS (60,000 elderly and disabled) 9% the state budget, and sends it to the legislature. The governor has a big influence on such as drug treatment juvenile 32% rehabilitation (2%) the legislature, because he or she can veto bills or sections of bills, including the centers, migrant labor 82% camps, and shelters for all other alcohol & substance state budget. The governor also gets his or her allies in the legislature to introduce state programs abuse treatment (4%) bills that he or she wants to become law. victims of domestic 18% violence. The fees for 17% But the governor’s biggest job is running state government. The governor hires developmental these licenses help pay disabilities and is the boss of the directors of 40 state agencies. These agencies run state prisons special commitment for government services. (sexual predators) (<1%) and mental hospitals; provide health care and other services to low-income people, the economic services vocational Licensing is an important (food stamps,cash & jobs) rehabilitation (1%) elderly, and people with disabilities; license cars, drivers, businesses and professions; way for government to and protect the environment. make sure that citizens are DSHS’s share How DSHS’s share of state budget of budget is spent There are another 46 agencies that are governed by boards or commissions protected. The Department (groups of specially selected people that oversee the agency), and the governor of Licensing requires that people get proper training appoints some or all of the members of these groups. The governor also chooses The Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission and pass a test before they the boards of trustees that govern state colleges and universities. It takes two or three get a license to drive a car The Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission is one of to advocate for the interests of Asian Pacific Americans in people working full time in the governor’s office just to recruit and screen people for or truck, provide services several small agencies that advocate for the rights of people Washington, and to advise the governor, the legislature, and all these positions, and to advise the governor on these appointments. to the public, or open a of color in Washington. Two staff people work for this state agencies about their needs. The governor also works with the U. S. government on many issues. If there is facility like a child care Commission. The 12 Commissioners are appointed by the The other agencies that represent people of color are the a flood or other disaster, the governor asks the federal government for emergency center. Governor to serve three-year terms. The Commissioners are African-American Affairs Commission, the Hispanic Affairs assistance. If there are issues before the U. S. congress that will affect our state, the from all over the state. They don’t get paid for being on the Commission, and the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs. Commission, although the state pays their expenses when governor meets with our state’s congressional representatives to make sure our state’s A list of all state government agencies is available on the state they travel to a meeting. The purpose of the Commission is government web site at www.access.wa.gov.

72 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 5 Governing Washington today 73 An Immigrant’s Story needs are known. The governor is also a member of the National Governors’ Association, which meets once each year with the U. S. president to talk about relations between Gary Locke’s family immi- In 1996, he was elected Governor of Washington – the first state governments and our national government. grated to Washington from person of color to be our governor, and the first Chinese- China. He grew up in Seattle, American in the history of the U. S. to be a governor. The governor can convene special commissions to study issues and make recom- where he worked in his parents’ mendations for changes. In the last few years, groups called together by the governor While he was Governor, he made a trip to China to promote grocery store. He studied hard have issued reports on how to improve the state’s business climate, how to protect trade with our state. He was surprised to find out that he was a

photo courtesy Washington Governor’s office in school, and graduated with people with disabilities from abuse, how to improve the state’s colleges and universities, huge celebrity in China. When he went to the village his family and how to reform the state’s tax structure. The recommendations of these groups honors from Franklin High School. With a combination of came from, thousands of people lined the road to greet him, aren’t always enacted, but they do have a lot of influence. scholarships, part-time jobs, and government financial aid, he and children tossed flowers to honor his arrival. was able to go to Yale University. Then he went to law school One of the governor’s most important roles is to provide leadership to the people Not long after his second term as governor ended, President in Boston. After he graduated, he came back to Seattle and of the state. The governor does this in many ways. Each year, the governor gives a Obama nominated him to be Secretary of Commerce, where he began his career as a lawyer. In 1982, he was elected to the state “state of the state” speech at the beginning of the legislative session that spells out led efforts to promote American exports. From 2011 through House of Representatives, where he became chair of the House what important issues need to be addressed. And throughout the year, the governor 2013 he served as the U. S. ambassador to China. committee in charge of writing the state budget. gives speeches to business and community groups all over the state, and listens to people’s concerns and problems. The governor encourages people to be active citizens, to volunteer in their communities, and to help make our state a better place.

The governor and his or her family also become a symbol of our state. States that vote and actually conduct elections.) The Secretary of State is also responsible for publishing elect eccentric or corrupt governors get a reputation for being eccentric or corrupt. the state voters’ pamphlet, which is mailed to all the voters in the state before each election. States that elect respected governors get respect. The voters’ pamphlet contains statements from candidates for state offices, and information about other issues that people vote on. The Secretary of State is also in charge of registering The other executive branch officials that we elect are: corporations and charities in the state, and keeping the state archives. The archives house all the historic documents of state government. The Lieutenant Governor presides over sessions of the state Senate. Legally, the lieutenant governor is the governor when the governor is out of state, but in practice, Like the Lieutenant Governor, the Secretary of State can also pursue his or her own the governor’s staff takes care of things when he or she is away. The lieutenant governor agenda. really only has a part-time job, since the Senate is usually in session for only two or three The State Treasurer manages the state’s cash and debts. She or he has to make months a year. But the lieutenant governor gets a full-time salary, and can use his or her sure that the state maintains a good credit rating, so that when the state wants to time to do whatever he or she thinks is important. For example, a lieutenant governor borrow money, it gets low interest rates. might spend time campaigning against drug and alcohol abuse, or promoting interna- tional trade. The State Auditor makes sure that everyone in state and local government follows the rules for how the public’s tax dollars are spent. The Secretary of State supervises state and local elections, and certifies the results of state primaries and general elections. (County officials, however, register people to

74 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 5 Governing Washington today 75 A Smoking Controversy The Attorney General is in charge of the state’s own staff of lawyers. These lawyers represent state agencies when they have legal disputes. If a state law is challenged in court, they defend the law. They also protect consumers from fraud, and represent the state in Washington’s legislature who smoke. Today, we states won, and now For more information major lawsuits. For example, when Chris Gregoire (who later became Governor) was has adopted laws to pro- take it for granted that tobacco companies have about the Tobacco Attorney General, she was a leader in suing the tobacco companies, and winning billions tect children and adults we’ll be protected from to give $4.5 billion to our Prevention and Control of dollars for our state. from the deadly effects secondhand smoke and state over the next twenty- Program, visit the The Superintendent of Public Instruction is in charge of the state’s public of tobacco smoke. that smoking is a really five years. The tobacco Washington Department schools. He or she does not have direct authority over schools – locally elected school The laws forbid selling bad idea, but that’s a big companies have to give of Health website at boards do. But the Superintendent is responsible for distributing state funds to schools, and tobacco to anyone under change from just a few money to the other www.doh.wa.gov, and for implementing state laws that establish academic standards that spell out what students 18, and ban smoking in years ago. Our state states, too. type “tobacco” in the should know and be able to do at each grade level. This office provides expert advice to restaurants and other played a big role in search box. local school leaders and teachers about how to keep improving public schools. In our state, the governor indoor places so people making this change. The Commissioner of Public Lands is in charge of millions of acres of state- and the legislature are not exposed to owned land. Most of this land was deeded to the state by the federal government In 1996, Christine decide how the money TV images from an secondhand smoke. The anti-smoking campaign when Washington became a state. The land includes large forests that are logged to Gregoire, Washington’s will be spent. The state legislature also voted funded from the lawsuit. earn money for special purposes such as building public schools, maintaining the state Attorney General, filed Department of Health to increase taxes on capitol, and building state hospitals. The Commissioner runs a big state agency called a lawsuit against the uses some of the money cigarettes, because the the Department of Natural Resources, and chairs the Forest Practices Board, which tobacco companies to prevent kids from more expensive they are, makes rules about how private landowners log their lands. The Department of Natural because they were illegally becoming addicted to the fewer people buy Resources also fights forest fires. trying to get minors to tobacco, and to help them. The Insurance Commissioner is in charge of making sure that insurance buy and use cigarettes. adults quit smoking. companies treat customers fairly, and that insurance companies follow the rules. The Similar laws have been They were also violating Still, there’s more to do. Commissioner also proposes legislation to correct problems with insurance companies. passed in many other Washington’s consumer Tobacco use is the leading states, and there have protection and antitrust The Judiciary cause of preventable been national TV ads laws. Forty-five other death in the United When someone is accused of breaking the law, Washington courts decide whether that show the awful states also sued the States. The American the person is innocent or guilty. If the person is found guilty, the court also decides what diseases people get from industry. Our Attorney Lung Association estimates the punishment should be. To make this decision the judge (and sometimes a jury) tobacco. All these mea- General was the lead that 440,000 Americans listens to people on both sides of the case (witnesses), who swear to tell the truth. sures have helped reduce negotiator of the final die every year from the number of people settlement in 1998. The tobacco-related illnesses.

photos courtesy of the Washington State Department of Health

76 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 5 Governing Washington today 77 Lying in a court is a crime called perjury, and people who commit perjury can be sent Superior courts also handle more serious crimes, called felonies. People who are to jail for it. After they have listened to all the witnesses, the judge or the jury makes convicted of felonies are usually sent to state prisons. People who were convicted of a decision. crimes in a municipal or district court can also appeal to a superior court if they think the local court wasn’t fair to them, or didn’t follow the law correctly. Every county has There are two kinds of court cases: civil and criminal. A civil case is a dispute a superior court, but some rural counties share judges because they don’t need (or between two people – for instance, between a landlord and a renter, or between a can’t afford) a full-time judge. photo courtesy Office of the Courts husband and wife who want a divorce, or between a group of environmentalists and Charles Z. Smith is regarded as a company that wants to harvest trees in a forest. There are also three state appeals courts, located in Tacoma, Seattle, and Spokane. People go to these courts when they feel that a superior court decision was unfair or Washington’s first African- In a criminal case, the two sides are the person accused of the crime and the American state Supreme Court not legally correct. When people appeal to these courts, the court doesn’t listen to all government. Justice. His mother was African the witnesses all over again; they just read the record of the earlier trial and listen to the American and his father was an Criminal offenses are things like driving while drunk, robbery, or hitting someone. lawyers for the parties involved explain why they thought the decision was or was not immigrant from Cuba, and Criminal cases include both very small and very large crimes – everything from driving consistent with the law. Then the appellate court decides whether the lower court ruling Smith always remembered both too fast to killing someone. was correct or not. his immigrant and African- There are several levels of courts. The lowest level is the municipal and district American roots. The top court for the state is the State Supreme Court, which consists of nine courts. (A court is called a municipal court if it’s run by a town or city, and a district Smith was born in Florida. He justices and is located in Olympia. The Supreme Court hears appeals from the lower court if it’s run by a county – but both do the same things.) These courts handle things came to Seattle to attend the courts. Unlike the other courts, the Supreme Court can decide which cases they want to like traffic tickets, and small crimes, called misdemeanors, for which the penalty is less University of Washington hear. If they think the lower court’s decision was correct, they can decide not to take School of Law. He was one of than one year in jail. When people are convicted of misdemeanors, they often just pay only four students of color in a fine, especially if it’s for a driving violation like speeding or parking in the wrong Takuji Yamashita graduated from the his class – and the only one place. If they are sentenced to jail, they are locked up in local jails, not state prisons. University of Washington School of who graduated in 1955. Municipal and district courts also handle smaller civil matters. They operate “small Law in 1902, but he was not permitted He worked as a prosecutor, a claims court” where people can sue for collection of debts up to $2,500. to practice as a lawyer because he judge, as a news commentator wasn’t a U. S. citizen. At that time, on radio and TV, and as a pro- There are two kinds of court cases: civil and criminal. people from Asian countries were not fessor. Then in 1988, Governor A civil case is a dispute between two people. allowed to become U. S. citizens. That Booth Gardner appointed him In a criminal case, the two sides are the person accused law wasn’t changed until 1952, and Mr. Yamashita died just a few years to fill a vacancy on the state of the crime and the government. Supreme Court. He served later. In 2001, several legal groups petitioned the Washington State three terms. The middle level of courts are called superior courts. These are the courts that handle Supreme Court to acknowledge the He was an advocate for fairness most civil cases, including divorce, child custody, and other family matters. Superior injustice of this by inducting Mr. for people of color, and also court also includes juvenile court. Yamashita as a lawyer. The Court a leader in the American agreed to do this. A special ceremony Baptist Churches, USA. He was held, and members of Mr. was appointed by President Yamashita’s family came all the way Clinton to serve on the U. S. from Japan to attend. Commission on International Freedom of Religion. University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, neg UW 23531

78 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 5 Governing Washington today 79 up the case. (There is one exception to this: the Supreme Court is required to review all believe that the public is more likely to get a well-qualified judge if the governor cases where a person has been sentenced to death.) makes the choice. This is a difficult issue because on the one hand, people want the right to elect judges, but, on the other hand, most of us really don’t know which The Supreme Court’s most important job is deciding exactly what state laws mean, lawyers will make good judges. In criminal prosecutions and whether they are consistent with what our state constitution says. If a law violates the accused shall have the the constitution, the Supreme Court can declare it unconstitutional, and the law is There are special rules for people who run for judge that make this even more right to...appear and defend thrown out. complicated. Candidates for judge aren’t supposed to know who contributes to their in person, and by counsel, campaigns, because we want judges to be fair, and not to grant favors to their When people go to court, there is a very formal process (called a trial) for hearing to demand the nature and contributors. Candidates for judge are also not supposed to talk about controversial both sides of a case. If a person is accused of a crime, that person has the right to a cause of the accusation issues that they might be called on to deal with in court. So in a campaign for a against him ...to meet the lawyer. If he or she can’t afford a lawyer, one is appointed for them, and the county judgeship, voters don’t have much to go on except the person’s reputation and their witness against him face government pays for it. The state or local government also has a lawyer to present the qualifications. And since most of us don’t spend a lot of time with lawyers, we may to face ...to compel the evidence against the person being accused of a crime. The government’s lawyer is called not know anything about the person’s reputation, or have a good sense of whether attendance of witnesses a prosecutor. they are qualified. When this happens, people often vote for judges because their on his behalf, to have a People who are accused of a crime have a right to a trial by jury, which means they name sounds familiar, or they might just not vote at all for these positions. speedy public trial by an can ask that a group of ordinary citizens listen to their case and decide if they are guilty impartial jury.” To try to improve the public’s knowledge of candidates for judge, the state’s or innocent. Article I, Section 22 Office of the Administrator for the Courts publishes a voters’ guide. It isn’t mailed to Washington State People in civil cases can also request a jury. In civil cases, the jury is made up of six all voters; it is inserted in local newspapers. It is also online at www.courts.wa.gov. Constitution people rather than twelve, and the person who requests it has to pay a fee.

Sometimes, though, people don’t ask for a jury; they trust the judge to make a

fair decision. When a jury is needed, the court calls on local citizens to serve as jurors. photo courtesy Washington Courts Source Photographics International (C.A. Honeyman-Huff) They select people at random for jury duty, usually from lists of registered voters and licensed drivers. When citizens are called to serve on a jury, they are required to do so unless they have a good reason why they can’t – for instance, if they have to take care of a sick relative, or they will be away on a trip. Jury duty is considered one of the obligations of being a good citizen.

All the judges in Washington are elected. But when a superior court or In 1889, the first Supreme Court of Washington had 5 justices. appeals court judge quits or retires in the middle of a term, the governor In 2004, Washington was the first state in the nation to have 5 women sitting as judges appoints someone to replace him or her until the next election. Then the on its Supreme Court. person the governor appoints usually runs for the office, and usually gets elected. In fact, it’s a tradition for judges to do this, because a lot of people

photo by Steve Bloom, April 6, 2004, reprinted courtesy The Olympian

80 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 5 Governing Washington today 81 Federally recognized tribes Non-Federally Non-Washington recognized Federally recognized Chehalis Confederated Puyallup Tribe Indian tribes Indian tribes with ceded territories in Tribes Quileute Tribe Note: Washington state does not have state-recognized tribes, as Washington state Tribal Confederated Tribes of Quinault Nation some states do. The following tribes are landless, non-federally the Colville Reservation Coeur d’Alene Tribe Samish Nation recognized. Some are categorized as non-profit corporations; some Cowlitz Tribe Nez Perce Tribe Sauk-Suiattle Tribe are waiting for federal recogni- governments today tion. All have requested inclusion Confederated Tribes of Hoh Tribe on this list. Shoalwater Bay Tribe the Umatilla Indian Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe 6 Chinook Tribe** Skokomish Tribe Reservation Kalispel Tribe Snoqualmie Tribe Duwamish Tribe** Confederated Tribes of Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Spokane Tribe Kikiallus Indian nation Warm Springs Lummi Nation Squaxin Island Tribe Marietta Band of Nooksak In 1989, Washington’s governor and representatives of many Indian tribes signed the Makah Tribe I Stillaguamish Tribe Tribe Centennial Accord. (The state centennial was the 100th anniversary of Washington Muckleshoot Tribe Suquamish Tribe Snohomish Tribe becoming a state.) The Centennial Accord said that state government would respect Nisqually Tribe Snoqualmoo Tribe the sovereignty of the tribes – that is, it would respect Indian tribes’ right to govern Swinomish Tribe Nooksack Tribe Steilacoom Tribe themselves. The Tulalip Tribes Port Gamble S’Klallam Upper Skagit Tribe **Pending Federal Recognition This simple statement meant a lot to tribes. It meant Tribe that the state and the tribes would have a “government-to- Yakama Nation government” relationship – a relationship between equals. Instead of trying to impose its rules on Indians, the state people who work in state government still don’t know very much about the history or promised to work more closely with tribal governments, culture of Indian tribes, or about what’s in the treaties. So the Governor’s Office of to respect the terms of the treaties and tribal laws, and to Indian Affairs provides special training for state employees on these topics, and on what educate state employees about tribes and their governments. it means to have a government-to-government relationship. photo courtesy Gordon Verrill Today, most state agencies have tribal liaisons who work to ensure that agencies respect tribal sovereignty, and work Today, tribes are also working hard to improve their governments so that they cooperatively with tribal governments. can provide essential services to their members. Health clinics, services for the elderly and people with disabilities, child welfare services, law enforcement, and schools and Still, the tribes and the state government have a lot of colleges are being created. Tribal governments are working with other governments work to do to make this new relationship smoother. Most to protect and restore salmon runs and improve the health of rivers and streams. Tribes are also opening new museums and working to preserve their history and renew their cultural traditions. Squaxin Island Tribal Museum, Library and Resource Center

photo courtesy Debbie Preston, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission

82 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 6 Tribal governments today 83 Centennial Accord photo courtesy GOIA Tribal governments are not like state government, or like local governments. They are unique, because they are governments for nations within a nation. Originally, the The Boldt decision (see page be a treaty, because treaties are idea of the treaties was that the federal government should protect these “domestic 86) set the stage for a radical agreements between nations. So change in the relationship what should they call it – a compact, dependent nations” from state governments. (In the case of fishing rights, that’s what between state government and a memorandum of understanding, happened: the federal government sued the state to win recognition of the tribes’ right the tribes. That court decision a contract? Somewhere along the to harvest fish, which was spelled out in treaties.) did more than restore tribal line, they came up with the term fishing rights; it also declared “accord.” And since the state But there is one way in which tribal governments are like state governments. Like that federal and state govern- centennial would be the following states, tribes can pass any law that doesn’t violate federal law. For instance, tribes can ments have to respect treaties. year, the idea evolved into the “Centennial Accord.” run casinos because there is no federal law that prohibits them. Casinos are legal in the The same state government that arrested Indians for fishing Ron Allen was the only one in the state of Nevada, because the Nevada state government chose to make them legal. Centennial Accord meeting, Chehalis Tribal Center, 2005 before the Boldt decision was room with a computer, so he took Similarly, many tribal governments have chosen to make casinos legal on their lands. The now required to work with tribes as equal partners to restore and notes, and he and Bob Turner wrote the first draft. They sent their federal and state governments regulate tribal casinos, but it is the tribes’ right to operate manage healthy and abundant runs of salmon. draft around to the others, and to the Governor’s chief of staff. Everyone liked it. Then they sent it around to more tribal leaders. them. This wasn’t an easy change to make. For years after the Boldt decision, tribes and the state struggled to get along. Most people in Along the way, various people made changes and improvements. Many tribes are using money earned by tribal casinos to pay for government services state government knew very little about tribal culture, history, and Clearly, this was an idea whose time had come. The Governor and to their members. Tribal casinos are a very important source of new jobs and income for treaty law, and many resisted the changes that the Boldt decision the tribal leaders knew that signing the Accord could signal a new called for to protect and restore Indian rights. beginning in relations between tribes and state agencies. Equally tribes, and for nearby communities. Tribes also donate money from casinos to charities important, the Accord called for annual meetings between state and community projects that help everyone. “Never doubt that a small group and tribal leaders that would make the Accord have lasting of thoughtful, committed citizens meaning, rather than being just a single splashy event. Money from casinos is important because tribal governments have not had much can change the world. Indeed, it is The Centennial Accord also led to the creation of the Governor’s of a tax base. Although some tribes have taxed tribal fishing and logging, most tribes the only thing that ever has.” Office of Indian Affairs – a permanent state agency that provides didn’t really have much to tax. They had to rely on very limited amounts of money from education for state employees about the history, culture and legal the federal government. In the treaties, Indians were promised health and education ser- In late 1988, a group of four tribal leaders met with Bob Turner, a status of tribes, and acts as a liaison between the tribes and the policy advisor to Governor Booth Gardner, to talk about how to state. (Before the Centennial Accord, there was a single staff person vices “in perpetuity” (which means forever), but they often didn’t get them. Many tribal improve relations between tribal and state governments. The leaders who advised the Governor on “Indian Affairs.”) councils met in church basements or school classrooms until the 1970s or 1980s in that meeting were Joe DelaCruz, President of the Quinault Today, tribal and state leaders continue to meet once a year to because they didn’t have enough money to build a place to house their government. Nation, Mel Tonasket, Chair of the Confederated Tribes of the review where they have made progress, where problems persist, Colville Reservation, Larry Kinley, Chair of the Lummi Nation, and what to do next. No one thinks that the Centennial Accord and W. Ron Allen, Chair of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe. has solved all the problems. But it has provided a forum for They agreed that a new understanding between state agencies and continuing to work on them, and helped educate state agency the tribes was urgently needed. The Governor and his staff under- leaders about the special status of tribes, their governments and stood that the state had to make a commitment to do a better job the issues they care about. The continuing dialogue created by the of respecting tribal sovereignty. But making such a commitment Accord has also shown how having positive, respectful relationships stick would be hard, because Washington’s state government includes helps people come together and solve problems. nine separately elected state officials, over fifty state agencies, and The Centennial Accord also inspired people in states such as hundreds of state boards and commissions. How could all of them Alaska, New Mexico, and Wisconsin to write their own versions. be engaged in making this change? All this started with a handful of people, sitting around talking photo courtesy Karen Verrill No one remembers which of them came up with the idea, but about how to solve a problem. And it just might prove something Little Creek Casino, owned and operated someone suggested that there was a need for a new state/tribal anthropologist Margaret Mead once said: “Never doubt that a by the Squaxin Island Tribe treaty to clearly spell out that state agencies needed to respect tribal small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the sovereignty and legal rights. But, they quickly realized, it wouldn’t world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

http://www.GOIA.wa.gov 84 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 6 Tribal governments today 85 The Boldt decision Most tribes that have casinos have used some of the money they earned to start other tribal enterprises. They are creating different kinds of businesses to provide a wider When Washington In the 1960s, Indian everyone else. Judge healthy rivers, healthy variety of jobs for tribal members, and a broader base of financial support for tribal Indian nations signed fishers began to protest Boldt looked at an 1828 salmon, and healthy government. Tribes now operate businesses ranging from shopping centers to tourist treaties with the federal this violation of their dictionary to see what people. resorts, and these enterprises provide jobs for many non-Indians as well as tribal members. government, they gave treaty rights. Many the phrase “in common The Boldt decision In fact, tribal enterprises have become an important source of economic vitality for many up a lot of land, but people (including some with” would have is famous because it Washington communities. they kept the right to famous movie stars) meant to the people confirmed that the trea- hunt, fish and gather came to support them, who signed the treaties, ties have to be respect- Some tribes, however, have reservations that are too far away from population centers to support a casino, a shopping center, or other enterprises. So even though the in all their “usual and and news of these and concluded that it ed. It encouraged tribes accustomed places” – protests brought the meant Indians should all over the U. S. (and many of which were not issue to the attention have half of the salmon. native people in other on the reservations. At of the public. Finally, He also ruled that countries) to insist on the time the treaties the U. S. government Indian tribes should their rights. It also led A leader who brings people together were signed, no one acted to protect Indian be partners with the to a flowering of Indian Billy Frank grew up on the Nisqually Reservation In 1975, Billy Frank helped create the Northwest Indian thought this would be state in managing and culture in our state, near Olympia. His dad, who lived to be 104, told him many Fisheries Commission. The Commission helps tribes a problem. But the In 1968, African-American protecting salmon. because the salmon are stories that he had heard from his parents about what develop fisheries management plans, and “speaks for the population of settlers civil rights activist and The Boldt decision was a central part of Indian comedian Dick Gregory, happened during “treaty times,” when the reservation was salmon” in dealings with state government. Since the Boldt grew larger than anyone a big victory for Indians life. Many Indians who a supporter of Indian treaty created. decision, tribes have developed hatcheries, restored streams dreamed, and so did the – and in the long run, had moved away from rights, served time in the Billy was 14 when he was arrested for the first time by state and rivers that had been polluted or damaged, and worked number of white people a big victory for salmon, their reservations came Thurston County jail for game wardens for fishing. He became one of the leaders of together with state government to plan for restoring runs who fished for a living. illegal net fishing on the too. home again. The Boldt the Indian fishing rights movement in the 1960s and early of salmon that have been depleted. Nisqually River. In fact, fishing became a Today, tribal governments decision, more than any 1970s. He led “fish-ins” in the Nisqually River that attracted It has been hard for the tribes and the state to change from major industry. Soon have a lot of people other event, made it a lot of attention, and the support of being enemies to being partners Indians were prevented rights by suing the State working to restore clear to everyone that many non-Indians. He was arrested in caring for salmon. Billy Frank’s from fishing in the of Washington to allow streams and rivers that Indian culture, many times. leadership is a big part of what places where they had Indians to fish. have been polluted or history, and identity Eventually, the fish-ins resulted in made that change possible, and fished for thousands In 1974, George Boldt, damaged during the are here to stay. the court case that led to the Boldt what keeps it moving forward. of years. State agents a federal judge, ruled last century. Tribes have decision – the court decision that He has received many awards arrested Indians caught that the Indians were also helped educate said Indians have a right to half of and honors for doing this. fishing off their reserva- right: the treaties said the public about the the salmon that are caught each year, Today, Billy Frank is still telling his tions, and took away they had the right to connection between and that tribes and the state should son the stories his dad told to him. their boats and fishing fish “in common with” share responsibility for taking care of salmon. nets. photo courtesy Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission Salmon ceremony, Tulalip tribe

photo courtesy Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission

7686 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 6 Tribal governments today 87 growth of tribal casinos and other businesses has helped some tribes, other tribes still struggle to find ways to fund their government and lift their members out of poverty.

Tribal governments are not all alike. Most tribes have a tribal constitution that defines the structure of the government, but some do not. Each tribe also sets the rules When Hazel was young, much of her life was spent about who is considered a tribal member. Most tribes have an elected tribal council as living apart from her parents. She was sent to boarding their central leadership. Usually, the chair of the tribal council is the person who speaks schools run by the federal government where students for the tribe. were not allowed to speak their native languages or practice their own spiritual traditions. In the 1920s, Tribal councils are advised by a lot of committees made up of tribal members. very few Native American children attended schools The committees study issues and give the tribal council advice. In some tribes, the with white children. committees have the power to make decisions on their own. Committees deal with tribal membership, housing, fisheries, elections, programs for children and elders, After graduating from high school in 1932, Hazel hunting, education, and culture. enrolled in another boarding school in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This school represented a change in federal policy; it actually encouraged people to preserve at least some of their native cultures. Hazel was one of the first students to enroll in a special program for the study of Indian arts and crafts. As a child, she had

photo courtesy of the Hazel Pete family watched her grandmothers carefully craft beautifully An amazing beginning, a remarkable life woven baskets of all shapes and sizes from materials language from her family, and worked in a hospital. is working on creating a they gathered on the reservation. Hazel became a A leader who wove together the traditional ways of using In 1974, at the age of 53, dictionary of the Yakama master basket maker, and taught people from many the past and the future and preserving fish, native she graduated from Central language, which is called tribes how to make them, too. Eventually, people plants, roots, and berries. Washington University. Sahaptin. (Sahaptin was from all over the United States and the world traveled She graduated from She became a member of the actually spoken by several Hazel Pete (1914-2003) was a member of the Chehalis to the Chehalis reservation to buy Hazel Pete’s baskets.

photo courtesy Virginia Beavert Yakama Tribal Council. tribes, and each tribe had its Indian Tribe, which is located near Centralia. Although Toppenish High School, Hazel Pete’s greatest legacy was the role she played and has fond memories of a She was often critical of the own version of it, called a Hazel grew up during a time when American Indian Virginia Beavert was born in as a teacher. She taught arts and crafts in several circle of friends that included Council’s actions, and so she dialect.) She is dedicated people were not allowed to practice their native 1921 in a bear cave in the Blue boarding schools. She then returned to the Chehalis Native American, Caucasian, helped push for a Code of to preserving this language cultures, she devoted almost her entire adult life to Mountains. Her parents had reservation, where she learned all she could about her Japanese-American and Ethics that spelled out proper because it is such an important learning, teaching, living, and celebrating the ways gone hunting, and got caught tribe. For many years, she gave presentations in the Mexican-American girls. behavior for Council members. part of the Yakama culture of her ancestors. She also came from a family that in an early snow storm. local public schools. Wearing traditional clothing, she and heritage. She is a beloved was very poor, but she never let that stop her from She served in the military She often traveled to Washing- read Chehalis legends to students, sang songs to She grew up on a cattle and Elder of the Tribe, and an achieving the goals that she set for herself. during World War II, and ton, D. C. to represent the tribe. them, and tried to help them learn about Indian horse ranch near Zillah. As a honorary member of the then worked at Hanford, She has taught at Heritage history and culture. child, she learned the Yakama League of Women Voters. cared for her family, and College in Toppenish, and

88 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 6 Tribal governments today 89 photo courtesy North Kitsap School District

Tribal councils and committees do just Indian or Native American? what Indians did before settlers came: they The original peoples of the Americas were called “Indians” by Columbus when he “discovered” America spend a lot of time talking – and listening – to try to find solutions to problems that because he was really lost, and thought his ships had reached India. Somehow, the name “Indian” stuck. everyone can agree on. Even though the Now people sometimes wonder whether it’s respectful to call Native Americans “Indians.” Over the years, structure of many tribal governments is Native people have thought about this a lot, and naturally, they don’t all have the same opinion. non-traditional, the cultural habit of seeking But most are OK with either term – Indian or Native American. A lot of Native organizations, such as the Measuring water height for consensus is still very strong. This sometimes Suquamish tribal members paddle a flood study along the National Congress of American Indians, use the word Indian in their names, and Native people commonly refer frustrates people from other governments, their canoe through the breakers. Nooksak River. to “Indian country” when they talk about reservations or the national network of Indian communities. because they are used to meeting deadlines, no matter what. In many tribal governments, it is more important to take time What most Indians really prefer, however, is to be identified as members of their own tribe. For instance, they to reach agreement than it is to meet a deadline. Tribes want to make sure that would like you to say “my friend Denny is Skokomish” rather than “My friend Denny is Indian.” everyone is heard, and that everyone’s needs are met.

Today, tribal governments have more and more paid staff, because they

are taking on more responsibility and creating more programs to help tribal members called in. This has been the source of a lot of confusion and conflict. In some places, and their communities. In fact, tribes actually employ more fisheries biologists than photo courtesy Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission tribal police and county sheriffs are working together to overcome these problems, the state does. Tribal government staff carry out the policies set by the tribal govern- and to share responsibility for keeping the whole community safe. They have “cross ment committees and the tribal council. deputized” each other, so that tribal and non-tribal police can act on each others’ Most tribes have their own police and courts. Tribal police and courts can deal behalf. In 2008, the state legislature passed a new law that allows tribal police to with crimes committed by tribal members (or members of other tribes), but when non- be certified in the same way that other police officers are, and gives them more Indian people commit crimes on reservations, other police agencies are sometimes authority, but non-Indians who commit crimes on reservations still must be tried in local rather than tribal courts.

As tribal governments grow, many tribes need more employees, managers, and leaders, so tribal governments are investing more in scholarships to encourage young tribal members to go to college, and to learn the skills they will need to lead photo courtesy Darlene Madenwald Herman Williams (left) and tribal governments and run tribal enterprises in the years to come. Dale Reiner. Herman, Chair of the Tulalip Tribes, gave a blanket Despite the many positive changes occurring in Indian country, Indian tribes to Dale to honor him and his farming family for their salmon and reservations still have many people in poverty, especially in rural areas. A full restoration work on Haskell recovery from centuries of discrimination, suppression of Indian traditions, loss of Slough, which runs through Dale’s property. Dale is a 5th resources, and broken promises will take more time, and more work by both tribal generation farmer in the and non-tribal governments and all people of goodwill. It will also take more Skykomish Valley. He raises cattle and Christmas trees. education of non-Indians about the history, culture and status of the tribes. photo courtesy Debbie Preston, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission Quileute students looking for birds, La Push

90 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 6 Tribal governments today 91 Okanogan County Local governments shape the communities we live in. If a community has nice Named for an Indian tribe, parks, safe streets, and clean water, it’s because its county and city governments and the county was organized by special districts are doing a good job. And when local government is doing a good job, the territorial legislature on people take pride in their community and work together to make it even better. February 1, 1888. The name Local government: is derived from the Indian Counties word “okanagen,” meaning counties, cities, “rendezvous,” (a meeting Washington has 39 counties. place) and was applied originally to the river’s head 7 Counties were created during the years when Washington was a territory (1853 – towns and special at Osoyoos Lake where 1889), because people needed local services that the territorial government was just too Indians gathered annually to far away to provide. At that time, there weren’t very many cities or towns, so the county catch and cure fish, to trade, districts was the only local government for most people. After Washington became a state, state and to hold potlatches. The government gradually took over some of the things counties had done. And as more name was gradually applied cities and towns came into being, they also took over some of what the counties used to the river and to the tribe to do. that lived along its banks. LLocal governments provide services right up to the driveway and even inside most people’s houses: the streets people travel on, the water that comes out of the faucets, the sewers that take away everything that goes down There are 281 the drains, and the garbage and recycling service are all provided by local governments. cities and towns, 39 counties and Local governments also keep us safe in many ways. Building inspectors make sure 167 special that the houses we live in and the schools we attend are built properly, and won’t fall purpose districts down in an earthquake. Health departments make sure that restaurants are clean, and in Washington. that they don’t serve food that will make us sick. Local police and sheriffs protect us from crime; fire departments put out fires and promote fire prevention. These are just a few examples of important local government services.

Local governments are smallest, closest to us, and usually the first place we turn when we need help. Because they are so close to us, local governments are also the easiest for citizens to affect. If we want to change a state or national law, we might have to send letters or travel to the state or national capital. But if we want to change something at the local level, we might be able to talk to a local elected official when we run into them at the grocery store or at a Little League game. map courtesy of Washington State Department Ecology

92 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 7 Local government: counties, cities, towns and special districts 93 Bats in Your House Today, county governments have two roles: First, they provide certain services to When a bat flies into some- what to do. First, they will ask department will test it to see if box and sent to the virology people who live inside the county, but outside of any town or city. (This is called an “unincorporated area.”) For instance, county sheriffs patrol the roads and respond to one’s house, it’s pretty scary, if anyone was bitten or it has rabies. The bat most laboratory at the Washington crimes committed in unincorporated areas. Second, counties provide some services to because bats sometimes have scratched by the bat. often is trapped by the home State Health Department in everyone in the county, regardless of whether they live in a town or city or an unincor- rabies – a very bad disease Sometimes a bat bite is very owner and then delivered to Seattle. They do special tests porated area. (This is explained more in the section on cities and towns.) that must be diagnosed and small and cannot be seen, so the local Animal Services on the bat’s brain to see if it The services county governments provide for everyone in the county include treated quickly to prevent they also ask if anyone was facility to be prepared for had rabies. If it did, the collecting property taxes, protecting public health, providing human services (such as someone from getting sick. awakened or disturbed by rabies testing. The bat body person who was bitten or

If this happens to you, you the bat. If the answer has to be put in a scratched has to have shots can call the county health is no, there is nothing to special shipping to prevent the illness. What are social services? department for advice. A per- worry about. son from the environmental If the answer is yes, and the Social services – also sometimes called human services – are a big part of what government does. These services include: health section will help decide bat is still available, the health • Health care for people who have very low incomes • Care for people who can’t work, such as people with disabilities and the elderly Other County Services • Help for people who are poor and need help finding help for the elderly and people who are mentally ill), and conducting elections. County a job, or job training Air Pollution Control governments are also responsible for the superior and district courts, and the county jail. Animal Services • Housing for people who are poor and/or homeless Counties are supposed to have three elected commissioners. Together, these three Area Agency on • Mental health care – both in the community, and in photo courtesy Family Policy Council Aging elected commissioners are called the county commission. It is responsible for setting the mental hospitals Washington State Medicaid are people who work full time, but don’t make very county’s budget and laws, and seeing that they are carried out. • Treatment to overcome addiction to drugs, alcohol, University Extension much money. Others are people who can’t work because of or gambling According to the original state constitution, counties are also supposed to have Courts a disability, or because they are too old to work. • Services to take care of babies, children and teens who several other elected officials: Financial Services Many other social services are provided by complex partner- Transit are abused or neglected by their parents, or whose The County Assessor decides how much property (land, buildings and business ships between the state, county governments, and private and Marriage License parents are too ill to take care of them equipment) is worth. The value of the property determines how much tax the person non-profit community organizations. Medic One • Help for young people who’ve been in trouble with the who owns it has to pay; the more valuable the property, the more tax people pay. Nearly all social services are provided only to those who can’t Parks and Recreation law and who need to turn their lives in a better direction afford to buy them on their own. Governments have to decide The County Treasurer sends people bills for their property tax, and makes sure Public Health and Providing these services gets very complicated, because how poor people should be before they get government help. At they pay it. Then he or she distributes the money – some goes to the state govern- Social Services governments at many levels are involved. For instance, the the same time, they have to figure out how much government ment, some to schools, and some to local governments. Sheriff federal government and the state share responsibility for can afford to spend on these services. People don’t always get Waste Management Medicaid, a huge program that provides health insurance to what they need, because sometimes the government doesn’t Water people who have low incomes. Many of those who receive have enough money.

94 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 7 Local government: counties, cities, towns and special districts 95 King County, the largest Cities vary a lot in where they get money to provide public services, county in Washington, The County Auditor keeps records of who owns all the property in the county. and on what services they spend it. These categories represent a typical city. He or she keeps records of all the registered voters, and runs the elections. And if was originally named you want to get married, it’s the County Auditor who will issue your marriage after William R. King, How cities Where city governments license. spend their money get their money the vice president under The County Sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer in the county. In most Franklin Pierce. It was libraries debt service counties, the Sheriff is also in charge of the county jail. (3%) (1%) renamed in 1986 after general other property The County Coroner investigates suspicious deaths to find out whether someone government (charges for taxes civil rights leader services, impact was murdered or died of natural causes. fees, lodging tax) 11% Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. law & 24% 23% The County Clerk is in charge of keeping all the paperwork for the courts, and justice for helping people who want to get divorced, sue someone, or deal with other 32% 24% legal matters. natural resources 11% state & federal 21% shared revenue & grants sales & 9% 18% 21% use taxes

fire & emergency business & Your parents’ tax transportation utility taxes health & human services dollars at work . . . (2%) and play

A lot of towns and cities have built skateparks – The County Prosecuting Attorney is in charge of representing the government in court when someone is accused of a crime. The Prosecutor also defends the in many cases because a lot of young people county when it is sued, and provides legal advice to all the agencies of county have lobbied local governments to get them government.

built. In some communities, kids have also Superior court judges are also elected county officials. They preside over superior

photo courtesy Leslie Hoge Design helped design skateparks. courts, which handle all serious crimes, and also all civil cases, such as divorces, child The Governor Albert Justin Amorratanasuchad in Ballard custody cases, juvenile offenses and lawsuits. D. Rosellini Bridge, District court judges preside over the smaller courts that deal with minor crimes which connects Seattle Building skateparks has been a difficult decision for many local Here’s a web site that has information about how to plan and traffic tickets. (Within cities and towns, there are similar small courts, called and Bellevue across governments, because people worry about kids getting hurt. a skatepark, and the regulations some local governments municipal courts.) Lake Washingon, is Some parks require that kids use helmets and other safety gear. use in Washington: the longest floating Also, finding the money to build a skatepark can be difficult www.mrsc.org/subjects/planning/sktboard.aspx bridge in the world. when towns or cities have tight budgets.

96 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 7 Local government: counties, cities, towns and special districts 97 Art, government and controversy However, not all counties are organized like this. The state constitution was amended in 1948 to allow counties (and cities) more local control over the structure of

Our national and state government – and many local In some places, local governments require that one their government. Local voters can write and adopt a mini-constitution for the county Did you know: governments – have commissions or agencies that support percent of the cost of any new government construction or city, called a “home rule charter.” Seattle is home to the arts. These agencies are usually a very small part of the project be devoted to buying art that will be displayed in or Under a home rule charter, counties can choose the number of elected officials the first revolving budget, but people get very passionate about them. around the new building or other facility. The new art that and their duties. Most have chosen to have an elected County Executive and a County restaurant, which Supporters of the arts point is purchased might be a piece Council. They can also give local people the powers of the initiative and referendum. was built in 1961. out that art is vital to the of sculpture, or a mural, or a They cannot, however, change the job of the county prosecutor or the superior and Everett is the site of health of our culture and frieze that is part of the new district court judges, or the way the courts are organized. the world’s largest building, Boeing’s our understanding of what building. Five counties have adopted home rule charters. They are Clallam, King, Pierce, final assembly plant. it means to be human. They But people argue passionately Snohomish, and Whatcom. Taken together, these counties include about half of the When Spokane hosted believe that government state’s population. about art, and when govern- the World’s Fair in 1974, should actively support the ment supports artists or buys it was the smallest city arts with funding for local art, there can be disagreements in size ever to do so. theater groups, dance about what is “good” art. troupes, painters, sculptors, Some people get angry when museums and musicians. their tax dollars are spent on This is important in making art they don’t personally like. The Mayor who calls “touchdown!” art available to everyone, The federal agency that sup- rather than just to those who ports the arts – the National Pullman mayor Glenn Johnson has been the announcer Chamber of Commerce, serving on the Pullman Hospital for the Washington State University football and men’s Board of Commissioners, helping raise money to build a can afford to buy art work. It Endowment for the Arts – basketball teams since 1980. As the “Voice of the Cougars,” new hospital, and organizing Pullman’s Fourth of July helps communities produce has long been a major focus he was much beloved by fans long before he was elected celebration, among other things. and preserve art that is of such debates. Politics and mayor in 2004. He served as president of the Association of Washington unique to their own culture, Now he’s in his third four-year term as mayor. He’s also a Cities, which helps local elected officials learn how to be good photo by YaM Studio, courtesy 4Culture art don’t always mix well, but professor who teaches courses in television news and media leaders. The Association also lobbies the state legislature to history and experience. “Rain Forest Gates”, 1999. sometimes they are impossible (c) Jean Whitesavage & Nick Lyle. management at WSU. (Fortunately, being mayor in protect cities’ interests, and publishes research about issues Hand-forged and painted steel entrance gates to King Street to keep separate. Pullman is a part-time job.) relating to city governance. You can learn more about AWC Center in Seattle, King County Public Art Collection Before he came to WSU, at http://www.awcnet.org. Mayor Johnson was a news Mayor Johnson must be a very busy person, because in anchor and a manager of addition to all this, he serves as media spokesman for the Here are web site addresses for a few state and local government arts commissions: radio stations. Pullman fire department, and is certified by the federal www.arts.wa.gov The Washington State Arts Commission He’s been a community leader Homeland Security Department to be a public information for decades, serving as officer who gives people news about what’s going on if www.4Culture.org 4Culture (The Cultural Development Authority of King County) president of the local there is a big emergency. www.cityofseattle.net/arts/ Seattle Mayor’s Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs www.spokanearts.org/ Spokane Arts Commission Photo courtesy of the City Pullman

98 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 7 Local government: counties, cities, towns and special districts 99 County commissioners are elected in an interesting way. The county is divided There are three kinds of city or town governments. The differences have to do with how

of Longview, WA into districts, and people in each district vote for their own commissioner in the primary the legislative and executive functions are divided up. The two major ones are: election. Then, in the general (final) election, everyone in the county gets to vote on The mayor-council form of government consists of an elected mayor, who The Daily News all the commissioners. In this way, every part of the county is assured of having The percentage serves as the leader of the executive branch of city government, and an elected of the state’s someone to represent their area. But, because everyone in the county votes for all council, which serves as the legislative body. population the Commissioners in the final election, the commissioners are reminded that they living in cities In some cities, the mayor can veto laws passed by the council, but, like the state must serve not just their own district, but all the people in the county. and towns photo courtesy Bill Wagner and legislature, the council can override the veto. People call this the “strong mayor” is now 64%— The Cookie Mayor Cities and Towns form of government. When the mayor has no veto power, and when there are up from 52% As a Mom, Barbara Larsen got several other city-wide elected officials such as a city auditor or prosecutor, it’s in 1990. People have special feelings about their towns and cities. We call the place where involved in her children’s called a “weak mayor” form of government. we grow up our “home town.” People often have strong opinions about what town or schools, and that led her to serve The council-manager form of government has an elected council, and the for thirteen years on the local city governments do; it’s almost as important to us as what our families do. We know council members hire someone to be the city manager. The city manager works for school board in Castle Rock, a that when our town or city government makes an important decision, it will have a the council. The city manager hires the rest of the city employees, and runs the day- town of about 2,200 people. She direct effect on the place we call home. enjoyed public service, so when to-day operations of the city or town. The council is not allowed to interfere in this Cities and towns are organized in a different way than counties. Counties are there was an open seat on the created by the state, and they can do only what the state says they can do. Cities and city council, she ran for it – and towns, however, are created by the people who live in them. When a group of people won. After ten years on the city council, she ran for mayor, and who live in a particular place decide that they want to be a city or a town, they can A mayor’s life was elected. hold an election and vote to create one. This means that they create a municipal of public service While her children were growing corporation. We usually think of a corporation as a big company like Boeing or As a child, Jesse Farias worked in his family while he went to school. up, she and her husband ran a Microsoft, but the word corporation can also refer to “a group of people combining the fields with his family. When Farias graduated from college in dairy. For forty years, she was into or acting as one body.” (The word municipal just means a local unit of govern- he graduated from high school in 1973, and began working full time also a foster mom who took care ment, such as a town, village, or city.) So a municipal corporation is a legal term for a of sick babies when their parents town or city. And an unincorporated area is a part of a county that isn’t in a town. 1963, he joined the army. Four for the state. In 1989, Governor couldn’t care for them. She took years later in Vietnam, his group Booth Gardner appointed him The difference between a city and a town is size. A town has a population of less care of them until their parents was ambushed while crossing a Director of Veteran’s Affairs. Farias than 1,500 at the time it is created. In 2008, there were 281 towns or cities in could take them back, or until river. He was severely injured, and enjoyed the challenge of heading a the state’s Child Protective Washington, but people are still creating new ones. lost his legs. At the age of 22, state agency and was sorry to leave Services office (a part of the The state constitution sets out rules for how to create a city or town, and how Jesse began life in a wheel chair. photo courtesy Trixanna Koch when Gardner’s term ended. But he Department of Social and Health its government should be organized. However, the constitution was amended (as it Services) could find a permanent When he came back from Vietnam, he knew he would came back to Olympia again in 1997, when Governor was for counties) to allow home rule charters that enable cities more freedom about home for them. Over the years, have to find work that used his brain – and for that, Gary Locke appointed him to serve a term on the how they organize themselves. she cared for hundreds of babies. he would need a college degree. A friend helped State Liquor Board.

She often took babies – and him get a part-time job working for the state After he retired, Farias wanted to continue to serve cookies – to meetings of the Employment Security Department to help support his community, so he ran for and was elected Mayor city council. of Wapato.

100 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 7 Local government: counties, cities, towns and special districts 101 work, but they can fire the city manager if they don’t like the job he or she is doing. to deal with stray dogs and cats. Having one animal control agency for the whole county In this form of government, most of the work of the executive branch is done by the will save everybody money. Some counties also run public transit and other services that city manager, but the council (the legislative branch) has control over it. cross the lines of cities and towns.

The council-manager form of government was invented early in the 20th century by County roads have to connect with city and town roads and streets, so cities, towns people who thought that local government should be run more like a business. and counties work together on this, too. They also collaborate to figure out how towns and cities should grow, where new neighborhoods, shopping centers, and businesses The third form of municipal government is only used by one town – should be built, and what land should be left open for forests, farming, parks, and Shelton. It has three elected commissioners who serve as city department directors. other uses. One is the Commissioner of Public Safety (who also serves as the mayor), one is the Commissioner of Finance and Accounting, and the third is Commissioner of Special purpose districts Streets and Public Improvements. The largest city When Washington was a territory, the territorial government divided counties into in Washington In big cities and in cities with a strong mayor form of government, being the mayor school districts. Today, Washington has 295 school districts. The voters in each school is Seattle, with is a full-time job. The mayor’s role is similar to the governor’s: he or she is the boss of city district elect five (in a few cases seven) school board members to govern their public a population of departments, and can hire and fire department directors. The mayor also has a relationship schools. The biggest school district in the state is Seattle, which has about 48,500 students nearly 620,778 with the city council that is similar to the governor’s relationship with the state legislature. people ... and in 96 schools. The smallest is Benge, in Adams County, which has ten students in a two- The mayor can propose new laws or the city’s annual budget, but the city council has to the smallest is room school. Krupp, with vote for it, and they can change it if they don’t like the mayor’s ideas. Together, the 52 people. mayor and the city council have to work out their differences. School boards are responsible for the budgets and policies of local schools. There are a lot of state laws that set the basic rules for schools, but local school boards can In small towns, and in towns with the council-manager form of government, being add local graduation requirements, negotiate contracts with teachers, decide when and mayor means something quite different. In these governments, the mayor is one of the whether to build new schools, and what academic programs and sports will be offered. city council members. He or she leads council meetings, and represents the city at special events and ceremonies. Sometimes the mayor is a strong leader because he or she has a About 80% of the money for schools comes from the state government, but the clear vision for what he or she wants the town to be like, and is able to unite people to rest has to come from within the school district. To raise this money, school boards figure achieve that vision. In other cases, the mayor may be just a member of the council who out how much money the schools need, and then ask people in the district to vote to holds the title of mayor.

Cities, towns, and county governments work together on many issues. For instance, Richland, Kennewick, and Pasco comprise Energy Commission constructed a plutonium- in a county that has several towns, the elected officials of the county government and the the entity commonly called the Tri-Cities. producing facility, the Hanford Works, town governments might get together and decide to share an Animal Services Department The first two, located in Benton County, north of Richland. The three towns were initially small agricultural communities, boomed and grew into one crescent-shaped while Pasco was the Franklin County seat population center extending along both and site of railroad yards. In 1943 the Atomic banks of the Columbia River.

102 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 7 Local government: counties, cities, towns and special districts 103 tax themselves for that amount. This is called a school levy election. For a school levy to be approved, a simple majority of the voters have to vote for it. The taxes for school levies come from property tax on people’s land, houses, and other buildings.

The school board also has to ask voters to tax themselves to help pay for building new schools or sports facilities. When they put a measure on the ballot to build something new, it’s called a school bond election. Jurisdiction: Power and control School districts are just one of many kinds of special purpose districts. Usually, a over a certain area. special purpose district has just one job – for example, running a port, providing sewage (For instance, if you treatment, managing irrigation in a certain area, or building and maintaining a ball park. ask a mayor of a city There are over 1,700 special purpose districts in Washington, and they do an amazing to solve a problem variety of things. For instance, a Metropolitan Park District was set up in Tacoma in 1907 that is outside the to create the Tacoma Zoo. There are cemetery districts, mosquito control districts, fire city’s borders, he or districts, library districts, and transit districts. In some cases, several counties might band she might say, together to create a multi-county transit district (such as Sound Transit, which serves King, “That’s not in my Pierce, and Snohomish Counties). jurisdiction.”) Usually, special purpose districts are governed by elected boards, but sometimes they are governed by boards appointed by County Commissioners.

Probably the most photo courtesy Ben VanHouten famous special purpose district is the Washington State Major League Baseball Public Facilities District, which owns and manages Safeco Field in Seattle.

Safeco Field, Seattle

104 The state we’re in: Washington What does it take to be a 8 good citizen?

UUsually when people talk about being a good citizen, the first thing that comes up is voting. That’s because voting is the most basic act of citizenship. When immigrants become citizens, they nearly always take great pride in being able to vote. They are right to feel this way. There’s really nothing more important than the act of marking a ballot and making an informed choice about how we want to shape our future, and who we want to lead us.

But voting is only part of the story. In fact, government is only a part of the story. To be good citizens, we have to think about the whole of our lives – about how we treat the people around us, how well we take care of the natural world, and what impact all our actions will have on the future.

To live in an open, democratic society, we have to accept that not everyone will share our beliefs. (When a society includes and embraces people who have a variety of backgrounds and beliefs, it’s called pluralism.) In fact, it helps if we all enjoy this diversity. If we only spend time with people who think and act just like us, we would never hear about new ideas that might be better than our own. In the long history of human civilization, the most progress has always been made when people are exposed to new ideas, new ways of looking at things, and new insights – even if those new ways of thinking seem disturbing or difficult to understand at first.

Chapter 8 What does it take to be a good citizen? 105 But voting and being open to new ideas are just the beginning. Being a good ❏ Get to know your neighbors. citizen also requires striving to develop certain habits of mind and ways of living. Here’s Democracy depends on people having a sense of community. When neighbors know one list of traits and habits that contribute to good citizenship. You may think of others each other and help each other, they are more likely to participate in activities that that should be added: make their neighborhoods safer, better places for kids to grow up to be good people. ❏ Try to be a person of good character. ❏ Participate in the life of your community. Good people make good citizens. Being a good person means always trying to be There are lots of activities that help democracy without really even involving kind and honest, to pay attention to other people's needs, to respect yourself and politics or elections. Charities, religious groups, sports leagues, book clubs and others, and to work hard. None of us is perfect, so we also need to cultivate the arts organizations all contribute to making communities healthy places to live. habit of facing up to our faults and striving to overcome them. This supports the work of government by helping us be a civilized society where ❏ Love to learn. people know how to get along with one another. The best way to help make the world a better place is to keep learning all you ❏ Think about the common good, and about can about it. Knowledge is power. For instance, the more we know about salmon, individual liberty. rivers, and oceans, the more likely we will be able to save both the salmon and As human beings, we are all constantly trying to find the right balance between the natural world that sustains us. doing what we want to do, and doing what’s best for the people around us. This ❏ Learn science. is true in our family lives, in our schools, in our workplaces, and in our government. Being a good citizen requires thinking carefully about what’s best for all of us, and In the 21st century, scientific discoveries will change our world in ways we can’t what’s best for each of us. yet understand. To make sure these changes benefit all of us, we will need citizens who understand science and can govern the way we use it. ❏ Lean towards optimism. ❏ Don’t feel you have to know everything. To make democracy succeed, we have to share the belief that human beings are capable of resolving differences peacefully, respecting each other, and putting aside No one knows everything. It’s important to understand the big ideas and principles selfish interests. But when people do things that are mean, corrupt, or hateful, it can of democracy, but if you don’t remember all the details about which court does make all of us wonder if democracy really works. When this happens, we have to what, or how many people are on a city council, don’t worry. You can re-learn remind ourselves of the progress our country has made. We have to stay focused those facts when you need them. on living up to the ideals in our constitution.

106 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 8 What does it take to be a good citizen? 107 ❏ Think of yourself as a very powerful person. You are. As a citizen of the world’s only superpower, each American has more political power than a hundred citizens of a smaller, less prosperous democratic country – and thousands of times more powerful than citizens who live under corrupt or undemocratic governments. When we vote for President, we are voting for someone who will have an impact all over the world – not just on our fellow Americans. This is an enormous responsibility.

❏ Question authority. In fact, question everything. Democracy depends on people asking hard questions, and insisting on honest answers. If this country’s founders hadn’t questioned the authority of the British, we would still be curtsying to the Queen of England.

❏ Don’t waste time hating government. Lots of people will tell you that government is no darn good, and that it wastes tax dollars and interferes with people’s lives. Or they might say government is no darn good because it’s all controlled by big-money interests and corporations. These statements may point out problems that need to be solved, but they sure don’t help solve them. Complaining about something doesn’t change it. And in a democracy, hating the government is a kind of self-hatred, because we’re the ones who elect our government leaders.

❏ Keep the faith. What makes democracy work is that we all believe in it. If people stop believing in it, it will die. All the progress our country has made – from outlawing slavery to extending voting rights to everyone to making the 40-hour workweek a legal standard – happened because people believed that they could create change. They were right.

108 The state we’re in: Washington What’s next 9 for Washington? WWhat will Washington be like 50 or 100 years from now?

Since about 1850, when settlers first started moving to Washington, five or six generations have been born, grown up, raised children, become elders, and passed away. (A generation is usually defined as about 30 years – the time it takes to grow up and have children.)

If people from 1850 came back to life and witnessed today’s Washington, it’s hard to imagine what they would think. They might be saddened by the loss of abundant salmon runs, and the disappearance of vast old-growth forests. They would be amazed that Sustainability Washington is now home to nearly eight million very diverse people, and three million A United Nations cars whizzing around on freeways. And if they walked into a supermarket, they probably wouldn’t have a clue what most of the food products for sale are. Frozen yogurt? commission defines Macaroni and cheese in a box? Cake mixes? To people who hunted, fished, and farmed, sustainability as these would seem really strange. “meeting the needs of the present with- If we think ahead five or six generations – or seven generations, which is the out compromising traditional Native American measure for thinking about the future – it’s equally hard for the ability of future us to imagine what our state will be like. But today, population growth, pollution, and a changing climate challenge us to do just that. If we don’t think about how the way we generations to meet live will affect the people who come after us, we risk leaving them a state where salmon their own needs.” are extinct, the water and air are unhealthy, and climate change and a rising sea level have devastated many communities.

Chapter 9 What’s Next for Washington? 109 That’s why people are talking about sustainability. A United Nations commission But there is more work to do, and some of the hardest challenges will face your generation. defines sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability Today’s young people harvest the progress their parents’ and grandparents’ generations have made. of future generations to meet their own needs.” And from the United Nations down to the But the people who came before you have also created ways of living and using resources smallest tribal or local government, finding ways to make our society sustainable presents that can’t be sustained, like driving cars too much, creating pollution, harming land and water, huge challenges. and using natural resources faster than nature can replenish them.

Democracy, citizenship, and our future As our population grows, more and more people will need houses, schools, food, clothing, transportation, and jobs. They will also need clean air and water, and ways to adapt to a changing Because we live in a democracy, we all share responsibility for shaping the future. climate. These challenges will require a higher level of knowledge about what needs to be done to We can do this in many ways: by helping get laws passed, by volunteering for community meet the needs of future generations. They will also require a higher level of citizen involvement projects, and by reducing the amount of resources we use. Citizens have been doing all to make sure that our government, our communities, and our families work together to solve the these things for many years. For instance, many worked to get laws passed to help us problems we face. preserve and protect clean water, clean air, agricultural lands and forests. Here in Washington, citizens worked to pass laws to clean up toxic waste, and to manage the Population growth, pollution, and climate change way cities and towns grow so that they don’t sprawl out into farmland and forests. In 1853, the first census in Washington counted 3,965 white settlers. They didn’t count Thousands of citizens volunteer to plant trees, to protect and restore streams for Indians, so we will never know how many more Indians than settlers lived here. But neither Indians salmon and other fish, and to reduce pollution in Puget Sound. And there are many citizen nor settlers alive in 1853 could have imagined today’s population of nearly eight million. organizations that work to educate people about the changes we need to make to preserve our environment so that future generations can breathe clean air, drink clean water, and It is equally hard for us to imagine how many more people will live here a century or more live in healthy communities. from now. Most efforts to forecast population growth only extend 30 years into the future. For

Seven generation thinking: If we define a generation as about 30 years, seven generations would be about 210 years. What can we do now to ensure that people born seven generations from now will have clean water, fresh air, enough food and a healthy earth?

use your imagination!

1850 1880 1910 1940 1970 2000 2030 2060 2090 2120 2150 2180 2210

110 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 9 What’s Next for Washington? 111 Sources of greenhouse gases in the U.S.

residential 5% instance, Thurston County, which is now home to about 250,000 people, forecasts that in commercial 6% 25 years, it will add 120,000 people. King County will add about half a million. Some rural The largest sources of transportation gases in 2006 were passenger agriculture 8% eastern Washington counties won’t grow very much, but the state’s urban areas will grow a cars and light duty trucks, which include SUVs, pickup trucks, and minivans. With motorcycles, they made up about 63% of transporta- lot, especially those around Puget Sound. electricity generation 33% tion gas emissions. The next largest sources were freight trucks (20%) and commercial aircraft (7%). If all these people live as most of us do today – driving cars and living in single-family industry 20% houses – it will mean more land used for new housing developments, more cars, and a lot Fuel consumed in international travel by aircraft and marine sources more air pollution. In fact, if we keep adding more people and more cars and pollution, by is not counted in national greenhouse gas tallies. But, international transportation 28% trade has been growing rapidly, increasing the role of transportation 2050, experts predict that King County alone is likely to have 132 additional deaths per year as a source of global emissions. between May and September from bad air quality.

US Department of Transportation Climate change will make these problems even worse. In the years since 1850, our economy has been fueled by oil, gas, coal — all of them fossil fuels that come from deep inside the earth. Burning these fuels produces large amounts of carbon dioxide and other When snow in the mountains melts earlier, it may cause rivers to flood in the spring, gases. These “greenhouse gases” form a shield that traps more and more heat from the sun. and then run low in the summer when farmers need water for irrigation and cities and (This is called the “greenhouse” effect because that’s how greenhouses work: the glass lets towns need water for people. Low water in late summer is also harmful to fish. all the sun’s heat in, and traps it inside so most of it can’t get out.) And there’s another problem with low stream flows in late summer: In Washington, A Climate Impacts Group of scientists at the University of Washington produced a study we rely on a lot of hydropower – that is, electricity that comes from harnessing the power in 2009 that describes what climate change will mean for our state. The study predicts that of water rushing over dams in rivers. When rivers run low in the summer, the dams can’t temperatures will rise by 2.2 degrees Fahrenheit by the 2020s, and by 5.9 degrees by about produce very much power. And if it gets hotter in the summer, there will be more demand 2080. The authors also say we will have wetter winters and drier summers, more severe for electricity to power air conditioning. Although the dams will be able to produce more storms, and earlier melting of snow on the mountains. For Western Washington, they predict power in the winter and spring, when rivers run high, there is no way to store that power much heavier rain in the winter. These changes will affect everyone in Washington. so it can be used later.

The Climate Impacts Group study also predicts other problems from a warming climate: forest fires will double by the 2040s and triple by the 2080s, and rising temperatures in streams and rivers will harm salmon and other fish that need cold water.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) website has The oceans will also be affected by climate change. As the water in the oceans warms information on climate change at http://climate.nasa.gov/causes up, it expands. At the same time, a lot of ice near the north and south poles is melting, adding more water to the earth’s oceans. All this means that the sea level will rise somewhere Here’s how they explain it: “Most climate scientists Over the last century the burning of fossil fuels between two and thirteen inches by the end of this century. (Some scientists predict higher agree the main cause of the current global warming like coal and oil has increased the concentration sea level rises.) A rising sea level will erode bluffs and beaches and destroy buildings close to trend is human expansion of the “greenhouse of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). This happens the shore. At the same time, increasing greenhouse gas emissions are making the oceans more effect” – warming that results when the atmosphere because the coal or oil burning process combines acidic, which makes it harder for creatures such as crabs, oysters and clams to form shells. traps heat radiating from Earth toward space. . . carbon with oxygen in the air to make CO2. To a lesser extent, the clearing of land for agriculture, Certain gases in the atmosphere block heat from industry, and other human activities has increased escaping . . . concentrations of greenhouse gases.”

112 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 9 What’s Next for Washington? 113 Two communities plan for a sustainable future These projected effects from climate change assume that we will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released by human activity in the years The Thurston County Regional Planning Council and ahead. That means if we don’t reduce those emissions, the results will be even worse. the Spokane Tribe both won special grants from the federal government to create plans for making their What can make our communities sustainable? communities sustainable. In both places, leaders held many meetings and The Washington state legislature and some tribal and local governments are working events to involve people in conversations about their hard to figure out how to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases we produce. They are hopes and dreams for their community’s future. The also starting to think about how we can adapt to a growing population and a changing Most cars on the road Spokane Tribe took a year and a half to create their climate. Many citizen organizations, student groups, and ordinary people are working have only one person in plan; the Sustainable Thurston plan took almost on these issues, too. them, but a bus can three years. carry dozens of people. photo courtesy of the Spokane Tribe Here are some of the specific problems we need to solve to make our way of life When people ride the The two plans address a lot of the same problems, The Spokane Tribe has a long waiting list for housing, bus it saves gas and sustainable. You will see that in many cases, solving one problem requires solving other but in very different ways. The Spokane Reservation and is struggling to build more. reduces pollution. problems at the same time. is mostly rural, and has a population of just over Reservation, this means real hardship for people who 2,000 people. Thurston County has about 250,000 live in poverty because there aren’t enough jobs, and, people. (Olympia, the state capitol, is located in equally important, too few jobs that pay enough to Transportation Thurston County.) support a family. So both places want to find ways to Everyone agrees we need to burn less oil The Spokane Tribe’s plan was guided by this definition build more housing that is closer to where people and gas to reduce greenhouse gases and air of sustainability: “Seven generation planning and work, shop and go to school, but the emphasis in the pollution. One way to do that is to reduce the sustainability are the application of knowledge passed Spokane plan is more on reducing poverty, and the down to us by our ancestors to take control and Thurston County plan has more emphasis on reducing amount we drive, since driving cars accounts direction of our community through cultural traditions, energy use and pollution. for 28% of the greenhouse gases we produce. relevant economic development, and environmental Thurston County expects that by about 2035, the (This doesn’t include energy use or pollution stewardship.” population will grow by about 120,000 people. involved in making and repairing cars, and it The Thurston Regional Planning Council’s description That’s a lot of growth, and it will take a lot of careful doesn’t include energy used by trucks or buses.) of its work was “Sustainable Thurston is a community planning to avoid more suburban sprawl that takes Many city, county and tribal governments conversation that will result in a vision for a vibrant, up more land, requires more roads and sewers, and photo courtesy of Thurston Regional Planning Council healthy and resilient future, as well as the actions requires that people drive longer distances and use are working to improve bus service, and to provide bike lanes and walking paths to make and responsibilities to more gas. Denser, more compact development will it easier for people to get around without driving cars. In the Snohomish-King-Pierce County achieve it.” mean that more people will need to live in apartments urban area, a new light rail train system now makes it possible to move people even farther or townhouses or other types of housing that use less Both plans talk about the and faster. But the freeways are still full of cars, and more freeway lanes are still being built. land. problem of people living And most cars on the freeway have only one person in them. far from stores, services The Spokane Reservation has only added about 500 One strategy for reducing the need to drive is for people to live within walking distance and schools, so that they people in the last 20 years, so population growth isn’t from where they work, shop, and go to school. Many towns and cities are thinking about this have to drive more, spend a big issue there, but the Tribe has the added challenge more money on gas, and of planning for the needs of both people living on and figuring out ways to cluster housing, jobs and schools in “walkable communities,” use more polluting fossil the reservation, and tribal members who live in other fuels. On the Spokane communities.

When people live in denser neighborhoods, it114 leaves moreThe state open we’re space in: Washington for trails and parks. Chapter 9 What’s Next for Washington? 115

photo courtesy of Thurston Regional Planning Council photo courtesy of the Spokane Tribe which means you can get to all the places you need to go jobs, shopping, and other places people need by walking, riding a bike or using public transit. This is an to go. In cities and towns across Washington, uphill battle, since there are already many suburbs that are local governments are working to limit urban so spread out and so reliant on cars. sprawl.

But many younger people and many older, retired They have been guided by a state people now prefer to live in smaller apartments or town- law passed in 1990 called the Growth homes with easy access to shopping, movies, school, jobs Management Act. That law requires most and transit service. And many cities and towns are devel- cities to create “urban growth boundaries” oping ways to make these denser, more compact housing and to encourage building inside those photo courtesy of Thurston Regional Planning Council choices more available. boundaries. More compact, denser cities Bicycles are low-cost, would not only help reduce driving; they efficient ways to travel In rural areas where bus service or other alternatives to driving aren’t available, it’s and get exercise at the much harder for people to drive less. And it’s a bigger hardship not to have a car if you live would also save money and preserve land. same time. Many cities and towns in a rural area where cars are the only form of transportation available. Ever-expanding suburbs require miles of are making more streets expensive new roads and water and sewer with bike lanes to make bicycling safer. systems, and local taxpayers have to pay for The Spokane Tribe is building more housing closer them. Suburbs also eat up a lot of land – to shopping, schools and services because it is more sustainable and more convenient. land that used to be forests, farmland, or other natural areas that provided wildlife habitat. Having people spread out over a large area also means that it’s more expensive for local governments to provide emergency medical and fire services.

When the Growth Management Act was passed, a lot of people were against it. They thought people should be free to build wherever they wanted, and that the government should support their choice with the services (like sewers and roads and fire protection) they expected. Over time, though, public opinion has shifted.

Although a big house with a big yard used to be thought of as “the American dream,” people are starting to see that the suburban lifestyle is both costly and isolating. When people have to drive long distances to get to work, they have less time with family, photo courtesy of Leslie Hoge Design and less time to get to know their neighbors or volunteer in their communities. And as the This walkable community has a grocery store and other shops on the ground floor, and apartments above. It also has a handy bus stop and bike lanes so people who live price of gas goes up, driving a car gets more and more expensive. here don’t need to own cars. Slowly, the trend towards denser, less car-dependent communities is growing stronger. Land use and urban planning But the vast suburbs we’ve already built will be with us for a very long time.

Transportation is closely linked to the problem of “suburban sprawl” – that is, the practice of building more and more suburbs that are farther and farther from

116 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 9 What’s Next for Washington? 117 Water, stormwater and wastewater management Stormwater is different from wastewater; it’s the water that runs off roofs, roads, sidewalks and parking lots. The term stormwater is confusing, because it doesn’t really have Thinking about water – where it comes from, how we use it, and where it goes – much to do with storms. Stormwater is created any time it rains or snows, even a little bit. might seem boring, but if we didn’t have clean water, we would be so thirsty we wouldn’t be able to think about anything else.

Today, thinking about water is more important than ever, because providing clean water to a growing population – and water for irrigating farms – is a big problem for many Washington communities on both sides of the Cascades. Some communities have had to stop building new houses until they could find more water to serve them. In some streams and rivers, so much water has been taken for human use that there isn’t enough left for Stormwater that goes fish, and state lawmakers and regulators have had to pass new laws and regulations to directly into rivers, streams, protect rivers from overuse. lakes and saltwater is a big source of water pollution that can be very harmful Where our water comes from is just half the problem; the other half is where it goes. to fish and other creatures. Wastewater – the water that goes down the drains in our houses and businesses – is Most stormwater is piped directly into streams and rivers without any treatment to treated by various complex processes that remove solid waste and other pollutants before it remove pollutants. This is a problem because stormwater contains pollutants such as copper is piped into streams, rivers, or Puget Sound. In rural areas, people use septic tanks to collect that runs off roofing, and pollutants from brakes, tires, and cars that leak oil or other fluids. household wastewater and disperse it into the ground. However, in areas close to rivers, Untreated stormwater is the leading source of pollution in Puget Sound. When there is a photo courtesy of Thurston Regional Planning Council lakes or saltwater, there have been heavy storm, great gushing quantities of water run off roofs and paved surfaces. The sheer problems with older septic tanks quantity of it disrupts the natural flow of rivers and streams, and can wash away fish eggs that don’t work properly. When and other aquatic creatures. private septic systems fail, pollution can seep into the water. As our population has grown, we’ve had to create more regulations about stormwater. New developments – both for business and housing – are now required to keep stormwater Some local utilities are working on their property, rather than piping it into nearby lakes or rivers. To do this, new developments to treat wastewater so thoroughly create ponds to collect the water that flows off roofs, sidewalks, streets and parking lots. The that it can be reused – if not to photo courtesy of Leslie Hoge Design water then soaks slowly into the ground under the pond. Pollutants from roads and roofs drink, at least for irrigating golf A small community well in Jefferson County are filtered by the ground under the ponds. These ponds may be completely dry during the courses and parks. But just in the provides water to about 40 families. summer, but they do their work when it rains or when snow melts. last few years, scientists are developing more advanced ways of measuring pollutants in wastewater. They are finding traces of the medicines we take, the personal care products we Although new buildings are generally required to keep stormwater on site and let it use, and even the caffeine we consume in coffee and soft drinks. Even in trace amounts, soak into the ground, no one has solved the problem of all the stormwater from older some of these substances may harm the health of fish and other creatures. developments that is still piped directly into streams and rivers.

118 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 9 What’s Next for Washington? 119 Saving Local Farmland That’s why our state and local governments are Sustainable agriculture working to preserve farmland. There are several ways to do this. One is to buy “development rights” from Apples, cherries, pears, wheat, potatoes, hay, hops, grapes, dairy products and farmers. This means farmers get a cash payment in beef are among the many major crops in Washington’s agricultural economy. The climate exchange for a commitment to keep (or sell) their change forecast by experts at the University of Washington predicts that although planting land only for the purpose of farming. Another way times will change and water for irrigation may be challenging, farmers will be able to keep to preserve farmland is to create zoning that defines certain areas for agriculture only. growing most of these crops for the next twenty years or so. In many towns and cities, non-profit organizations are In fact, increases in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere can actually increase plant helping local, small, organic farmers get started and growth, and that may benefit farmers for some time. In the long term, though, the sell what they grow. There is also a lot of research at Washington State Department of Ecology predicts crop losses of 25% by the end of this photo by Scott Haydon photography, courtesy PCC Farmland Trust universities, and a lot of conversation between citizens Cheryl the Pig Lady and Friends farm 56 acres in the century due to climate change – a serious problem since there will be more people to feed. and elected officials about what more we can do to Puyallup Valley that was saved from development by Climate change will also affect farming in other areas of our country and the world, PCC Farmland Trust in 2010. She produces pork, preserve farmland, and include agriculture in our sausage, steaks, lamb, chicken and blueberries. planning for sustainable communities. and those changes are likely to be so big it’s hard to imagine. Once the climate really starts Your parents and grandparents can probably show changing, it will keep changing for a long time, so food production will have to keep moving There is more information on this topic at: you suburban housing developments or shopping www.mrsc.org/subjects/planning/farmland.aspx around. Areas of the earth that are too cold to grow food now may warm up enough to be areas that were farms or forests when they were kids. photo courtesy of Leslie Hoge Design good croplands for a while, but they might also eventually That’s because over the years, many towns and cities This farm is in the Snoqualmie Valley in King County, get too warm, or run short of water. Whether all this have spread out, eating up farmland to make way for and volunteers sometimes come to help with special projects or to learn how to grow food themselves.

happens – or how much of this happens – will depend houses, grocery stores, schools, and gas stations. photo by Melissa Thompson Photography, courtesy PCC Farmland Trust on whether countries all over the world succeed in Here’s the basic problem: A farmer at the edge of a city reducing greenhouse gas emissions soon enough to can sell his or her land for a lot of money to someone prevent massive, long-term global warming. who wants to break it up into small lots and build houses. If the farmer chooses to sell to someone who wants to One way people try to help reduce the danger of farm, he will get much less for his land. The developer climate change is to consider the “carbon footprint” of who builds hundreds of houses can make a lot more the food we eat. That means thinking about how much money than the person who wants to grow food. fossil fuel it takes to get food on our tables. If we eat This is called “development pressure,” and it’s led to bananas from the Philippines, for instance, we know that the loss of a lot of farmland (and forests). But there they had to be shipped here from a long distance, thus are many important reasons to keep local land in

increasing the amount of fuel and pollution it took to photo by Melanie Conner, courtesy PCC Farmland Trust When people buy fresh farms and forests. Both provide habitat for wildlife, food from local farmers, get them to us. We also need to consider how much and open space that can absorb rain or snow. Local the food hasn’t been trucked long distances. energy went into growing, processing and packaging foods. We can reduce our carbon farms mean fresher food, and food that doesn’t have That means less gas was footprint by driving less, buying less, and recycling more. to be shipped long distances using fossil fuels. Perhaps burned and less pollution most important, farmland and forests are finite – what was created. Fertilizers, pesticides and antibiotics, when used carefully, can be a big boon to food we lose can never be replaced. Farms and forests are production, but they can also be a big problem when they seep into rivers and streams, or also part of our state’s way of life, and provide many when traces of them remain in the food we eat or in our environment. jobs to Washington residents. “You have to be able to offer a future to the next generation. And you can’t do that without land.” – Nash Huber of Nash’s Organic Produce and Delta farm. 120 The state we’re in: Washington All these issues have given rise to a movement for “sustainable agriculture,” but there Our greenhouse gas emissions in Washington are lower is a wide range of opinion about exactly what that means. Some people insist that all their than the national average because we have a lot of hydropower food be grown without any chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and that all or nearly all of and wind energy. Still, we use more fossil fuels and create more their food be grown close to where they live. They might also avoid processed food that pollution than people in many other countries. comes in packages. While most people still don’t eat that way, there is a growing recognition that the basic idea of reducing the carbon footprint of our food and reducing the amount Creating a sustainable economy of fertilizer and pesticides in our environment is a goal worth pursuing. More and more people A sustainable economy has two main features: first, it grow vegetables and raise Many communities are working to preserve local farmlands. They are also encouraging doesn’t use up resources faster than nature renews them, and chickens in their yards because they like having community gardens, and even passing “urban agriculture” ordinances that allow people in second, it provides the means for all people to sustain them- photo courtesy of Erik Bakke Windy places in eastern really fresh food right cities and towns to keep chickens, ducks and other small livestock. These are all steps that selves – that is, to meet their basic needs for food, housing, transportation, education and Washington are perfect outside their door. sites for windmills that encourage people to eat more food that is healthier for us and healthier for health care. These are very hard tests to pass, especially with a growing population and an produce electricity. our environment. economy with chronic unemployment, more and more low wage jobs, and a lot of people who are stuck in part-time jobs. Energy production and use No one has really figured out how to create an About 70% of the electricity used in Washington comes from hydro- economy that meets these tests of both family and electric dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers. These dams changed our environmental sustainability – at least not yet. Local state’s landscape dramatically, and flooded the sites of many traditional communities are working to develop new industries Indian fishing villages. Because building dams has such a big impact, that create good jobs close to where people live, and we’re not likely to build any more of them, even though hydropower is encouraging people to start small businesses and to considered “clean power” because it doesn’t generate greenhouse gases. buy more locally produced goods and services. And of photo by Leslie Hoge Design courtesy of Cat Fox course people have been working for many years to Washington is also a leading producer of clean wind energy, and the number of wind improve our schools, so that more people have the turbines on hillsides in eastern and central Washington continues to grow. education and skills to qualify for better paying jobs But our state does still rely on some natural gas and coal to produce electricity – and, of that can sustain a family. photo courtesy of Leslie Hoge Design course, gas and diesel fuel for nearly all our cars, trucks, trains, lawnmowers, farm equipment, Solar panels on the roof of this But the fate of our state and local economy buses and boats. Many people also burn natural gas, wood or other polluting fuels to heat house use sunlight to produce electricity with no pollution and depends on the bigger picture of what’s happening homes and businesses. Older homes and buildings generally use more energy than newer no monthly electrical bill. nationally and globally. We can’t solve all these

ones, because newer homes are built with more insulation and windows that hold in more photo courtesy of Washington State Department Ecology problems in Washington state alone, because our economy is part of a national economy heat in winter and keep out more heat in summer. Washington has one and a world economy. coal-fired plant that produces electricity, What we can do is keep working to find ways to make our local economies strong, so but it is going to change from coal to that even if bad things happen in the national or global economy, communities can rely on natural gas in a few our own farms, businesses and consumers. years because the coal it burns causes 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions in our state.

122 The state we’re in: Washington Chapter 9 What’s Next for Washington? 123 Sustaining our heritage and cultures

In 1850, Native Americans might have suspected that the influx of European settlers would bring big changes. But it’s doubtful they could have anticipated that settlers would make policies that tried to wipe out their identity as a people. Yet when Indian kids were forced to go to boarding schools and punished for speaking their own language, and when tribal religions were banned, Indians – often in secret – protected their heritage. They handed their stories and their skills down from one generation to the next for well over a century, and now their culture is experiencing a comeback. It’s true that over time, a lot was lost, but the core values and ways of seeing the world survived because Indian people never let them go. Even when it would have been easier to fit in by shedding their unique identity, Indians kept being Indians. And now our whole society benefits from the insights of Indian culture, with its emphasis on “seven generation thinking” and the tribes’ deep experience in how to live in harmony with the natural world.

Today, there are many cultural groups in our state and nation that also have their own languages, skills, and unique ways of seeing and caring for the earth. Like Native Americans, Latinos, Asian-Americans, African-Americans and many other cultural and ethnic groups have felt the pressure to let go of their own cultures in order to fit in with mainstream culture. But that would be a terrible loss.

It’s hard for people to “walk in two worlds,” as Indians call the practice of living in both their own culture and being part of mainstream culture. But challenging as it is, the people who do this have a special gift that benefits everyone. It is going to take the cultural insights and knowledge of all of us to relearn how to live in harmony with the earth. If we lose the heritage of any of our diverse cultures, we will have only a fraction of the wisdom we will need to create a truly sustainable society.

Washington is rich in cultural diversity, and that’s a resource we all need to protect

and value. Photo courtesy Puget Sound Educational Service District

124 The state we’re in: Washington Appendix A: Timeline of Washington history

We aren’t certain when humans first lived in Washington. Some think people first came by boat from Asia or islands in the Pacific. Others think the first people crossed a land bridge that, during the last Ice Age, connected Siberia and Alaska. Many Native peoples believe they have always been here.

British explorer Sir Frances Drake explores the Native Americans all over North America are 1579 Washington coast, beginning a long period of devastated by smallpox and other diseases exploration by people from England, France, and Spain. brought by Europeans. Before European settlers 1770’s ever arrived in Washington, the population of Native tribes had been reduced – possibly by as A Spanish explorer, Salvador Fidalgo, establishes the much as 80%, though no one knows for sure. first European settlement in Washington at Neah Bay. 1792 During the same year, American Captain Robert Gray enters the Columbia River, which he names after his The Lewis and ship, and Grays Harbor, which is named after him. Clark expedition travels across the 1805- country, down 1806 the Snake and Columbia Rivers, and reaches the Pacific Ocean. Image courtesy Washington State Historical Society, Tacoma

Image courtesy Washington State Historical Society, Tacoma

A treaty leaves the Pacific Northwest in a state of “joint occupancy” by 1819 Britain and the United States, and 1825 ends Spanish claims to this area. The Hudson’s Bay Company establishes Fort Vancouver as a center of the fur trade. (In 1811, another company, called the Pacific Fur Company, built forts at Astoria and Okanogan.) In 1833, the Hudson’s Bay Company also builds Fort Nisqually.

Image source information in this section is noted only for images that do not appear elsewhere in this book. Appendix: timeline of Washington history 125 Marcus and Narcissa Whitman establish 1833 1887 The Dawes Act breaks up Indian reservations a mission near Walla Walla. and allows settlers to claim reservation land. Washington becomes a state. 1889 Image courtesy Washington State Historical Society, Tacoma Early settlers in Oregon organize a provisional government. (Provisional, in this case, means 1843 Britain gives up claims to what is now the U. S. The population of the state is 357,232. (This is the first year in which part of the Pacific Northwest. 1890 the census was to include all Indians, but most of the records of this “not quite official,” since Oregon at that time was census were lost in a fire in 1921.) still jointly occupied by Britain and the U. S.) 1846 The first settlers arrive in what is now Washington, Image courtesy Washington State and settle near Olympia. Historical Society, Tacoma The Washington state legislature passes the Barefoot Schoolboy Act, which 1895 1847 The Whitman’s mission is attacked by people from the provides state funding for local schools. The U. S. Congress creates 1848 Cayuse and Umatilla Tribes, and 13 people are killed. the Oregon Territory. The population of Washington is 518,103. The first U. S. census in the Oregon Territory 1900 counts 304 non-Native people living north of the 1849 The Washington State Highway Department is created. 1905 The U. S. Congress passes the Donation Land Columbia River. Just one year later, this number Women win the right to vote Claim Act, which promises free land to 1850 swells to 1,049. 1910 Washington’s constitution is amended to permit in Washington. settlers who come to the Oregon Territory. 1912 citizen initiatives and referenda. U. S. President Millard Fillmore establishes the

Washington Territory, and a Territorial 1917 The Boeing Company begins building airplanes in Seattle. s

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v

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Legislature is established. The Territory c

Governor Stevens and Washington 1854- r A 1853 e

t includes what is now Idaho. The President a tribes sign treaties that oblige 1855 t S Washington’s population reaches 1,356,621. n o 1920 t sends Isaac Stevens to be the first governor g Indians to move to reservations. in h as Im W of the new Washington Territory. age courtesy Bertha Landes is elected mayor of Seattle – 1926 1924 The U. S. Congress passes The Indian Citizenship Act. 1860 The non-Indian population of Washington Territory is 11,594. the first female mayor of an American city.

1863 The first telegraph line reaches Seattle, allowing fast Construction of the Grand Coulee President Lincoln signs a law that creates Idaho Territory. 1864 Washington’s unemployment rate peaks at more communication across the country. Dam begins. (The Grand Coulee Dam 1933 1933 was completed in 1941; the Bonneville than 25% during the Great Depression. 1870 The non-Indian population of Washington Territory is 23,955. Dam was completed in 1937.) 1934 The Indian Reorganization Act passes the U. S. Congress, and the Dawes Act is repealed. U. S. President Ulysses Grant creates, by executive 1872 order, the Colville Reservation. One month later, Japanese Americans a second decree moves the reservation and are forced to leave Hanford is the site chosen dramatically reduces its size. their homes and 1942 for the top-secret project live in prison camps 1943 to produce the first during World War II. 1880 The non-Indian population of Washington Territory is 75,116. nuclear bomb.

Image courtesy Tacoma Public Library The Northern Pacific Railroad Anti-Chinese riots in Washington’s first TV station reaches Tacoma, linking 1948 Seattle, Tacoma, and 1883 (KING TV in Seattle) goes on the air. 1885 Washington to the rest of elsewhere drive out most the country. Chinese laborers. Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Energy

126 Appendix: timeline of Washington history 127 Image courtesy Washington State Historical Society, Tacoma 1950 The population of Washington is 2,378,963.

During these years, thousands of college students and other 1965-1973 citizens hold demonstrations in schools and downtowns throughout the state to call for an end to the war in Vietnam. Appendix B: A sampling The Black Student Union is founded 1968 1967 Interstate 5 is completed. at the University of Washington Image courtesy Tacoma Public Library 1970 Washington voters of elected officials, state The first Starbucks opens in the Pike Place Market in Seattle 1971 legalize abortion. Voters approve the Shorelines Management Act 1972 Federal Judge George Boldt and the Public Disclosure Act. 1974 rules in favor of Indian agencies and departments fishing rights, consistent Microsoft is founded to create software for computers. 1975 with language in the treaties.

1976 Dixy Lee Ray is elected Washington’s first female governor. 1977 For a full listing see: www.access.wa.gov and click on “agencies” or “departments” Voters approve an initiative removing the sales tax from food. 1979 The U. S. Supreme Court upholds the Boldt decision on Native American fishing rights. On May 18, Mt. St. Helens erupts, riveting the 1980 Governor Washington State Department of Agriculture attention of people all over the world. Initiative 518 is passed by the voters. It raises the 1988 minimum wage, and indexes it to inflation, so that PO Box 40002 WSDA serves the people of Washington state by supporting Olympia, WA 98504-0002 the agricultural community and promoting consumer and when prices go up, the minimum wage goes up, too. 360-902-4111 environmental protection. www.governor.wa.gov P.O. Box 42560 1990 The population of Washington is 4,866,700. Olympia, WA 98504-2560 Lieutenant Governor (360) 902-1800 TDD(360) 902-1996 PO Box 40400 www.agr.wa.gov The state legislature passes the Growth Management Act. 1990 Gary Locke becomes Washington’s first Olympia, WA 98504-0400 360-786-7700 Washington State Archives 1996 Asian American governor. www.ltgov.wa.gov They collect, sort and store statewide historical records dating from 1853 to present. The public may view these documents 1999 Nine salmon runs are listed as endangered species by Secretary of State and have copies made. Also see WA State Digital Archives. the U. S. Department of Interior. PO Box 40220 PO Box 40238 Olympia, WA 98504-0220 Olympia, WA 98504-0238 360-902-4151 2000 The population of Washington is 5,894,121. 360-586-1492 www.sos.wa.gov www.sos.wa.gov/archives Chris Gregoire is elected governor in the nation’s closest- Attorney General Department of Corrections 2004 ever election. After three recounts, she wins by 133 votes. PO Box 40100 As a partner with victims, communities and the criminal justice Olympia, WA 98504-0100 system, the Department’s primary goal is public safety. It At the request of the state legislature, a special Historical 360-753-6200 administers criminal sanctions of the courts and correctional Court is convened, and it exonerates Leschi, the Nisqually www.atg.wa.gov programs, and provides leadership for the future of corrections Image courtesy of the leader who was wrongly convicted of murder and hanged Washington State Senate in Washington state. The Department employs over 7,000 men State Legislature in 1858. (To exonerate means to declare that an accused person and women to administer and supervise over 18,000 offenders was innocent.) Representatives: housed in 13 institutions and 16 work training and pre-release PO Box 40600 facilities. Olympia WA, 98504-0600 2010 The population of Washington is 6,817,770. 7345 Linderson Way SW www.leg.wa.gov Olympia, WA 98504-1118 Senators: On January 5, 2012, the State Supreme Court ruled in 360-725-8200 PO Box 404 + legislative district #, On February 13, 2012, Governor Gregoire signed a law 2012 2012 McCleary v. Washington that Washington state is not www.doc.wa.gov Olympia WA, 98504-04+legislative district # legalizing same-sex marriage; in November, voters upheld amply funding basic education, as required by the state Hotline: 1-800-562-6000 the law in a referendum. In the same election, voters also constitution, and ordered the legislature to increase www.leg.wa.gov continued approved an initiative that legalizes and regulates marijuana. school funding.

128 The state we’re in: Washington Appendix: a sampling of elected officials, state agencies and departments 129 The Administrative Office of the Courts Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission on African American Affairs Office of the Insurance Commissioner This office provides educational resources including Judges Fish and Wildlife has three major responsibilities: The Commission encourages the development and implementation The office protects consumers by empowering and educating the in the Classroom, Informational Brochures, Judicial Education, to develop and contribute to quality decision-making; to share of policies, programs, and practices which are specifically intended public about insurance issues and health care access. They oversee Constitutional Information, Mock Trial Information and responsibility for fish and wildlife through partnerships with to improve conditions affecting the cultural, social, economic, Washington insurance industry to make sure companies, agents Washington State Court History. public and international entities, tribal leaders, public volunteers political, educational, health and general well-being of African and brokers follow the rules and protect consumers. P.O. Box 41170 and service groups; to forge effective partnerships with landowners American people at all levels throughout Washington state. P.O. Box 40255 Olympia, WA 98504-1170 and land use decision makers in maintaining and enhancing PO Box 40926 Olympia, WA 98504-0255 Office (360) 753-3365 habitat. Olympia, WA 98504-0926 (360) 725-7080 www.courts.wa.gov 111 Washington St. SE 360-725-5664 or 1-800-562-6900 (in Washington only) Olympia, WA 98501 www.caa.wa.gov TDD (360) 586-0241 Department of Ecology Information: 360 902-2200 www.oic.wa.gov Ecology’s mission is to protect, preserve and enhance www.wdfw.wa.gov Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs Washington’s environment, and promote the wise management The agency’s mission is to improve the well-being of Asian Washington State Department of Labor of the state’s air, land and water for the benefit of current and Washington State Department of Health Pacific Americans (APAs) by insuring their access to participation and Industries future generations. The goals are to prevent pollution, clean up Health services are population-based, focused on improving the in the fields of government, business, education, and other L and I has programs to help employers meet safety and health pollution when it occurs, provide environmental education and health and status of the population, rather than simply treating areas. standards and inspects workplaces when alerted to hazards; support sustainable communities and natural resources. individuals. This responsibility is shared by the Department of P.O. Box 40925 provides medical and limited wage-replacement coverage to P.O. Box 47600 Health and 34 local health jurisdictions serving Washington’s Olympia, WA 98504-0925 workers who suffer job-related injuries and illness; helps ensure Olympia, WA 98504-7600 39 counties. 360-725-5667 that workers are paid what they are owed; that children’s and www.ecy.wa.gov P.O. Box 47890 www.capaa.wa.gov teens’ work hours are limited; and that consumers are protected Olympia, WA 98504-7890 from unsound building practices. Employment Security Department WA State Information: 800-525-0127; TTY dial 711 Commission on Hispanic Affairs PO Box 44000 Employment Security’s goal is to help Washington workers and www.doh.wa.gov The Commission is charged with identifying and defining issues Olympia, WA 98504-4000 employers succeed in the global economy by delivering superior concerning the rights and needs of Washington state’s Hispanic Main Line: 1-800-547-8367 employment services, timely benefits and a fair and stable Washington State Department of community; advising the Governor and state agencies on the 360-902-5800 unemployment insurance system. Enterprise Services development of relevant policies, plans and programs that affect TDD: 360-902-5797 202 Maple Park Enterprise Services was established in 2011 by consolidating five Hispanics; advising the legislature on issues of concern to the www.lni.wa.gov English Olympia, WA 98507-9046 agencies. It provides information technology; delivers state mail; state’s Hispanic community; and establishing relationships with www.lni.wa.gov/Spanish Spanish 360-902-9500 maintains state Capitol grounds; manages leases; supervises public state agencies, local governments, and members of the www.esd.wa.gov works projects; and offers visitor services at the State Capitol. private sector. Washington State Library PO Box 41401 P.O. Box 40924 Their mission is to collect, preserve and make accessible to Washington State Office of Financial Management Olympia WA 98504-1401 Olympia, WA 98504-0924 Washingtonians materials on government, history culture and Provides information, fiscal services and policy support that 360-407-0990 Phone: (800) 443-0294 natural resources of the state. They provide coordination of the Governor, Legislature and state agencies need to serve www.des.wa.gov (360) 753-3159 services to all libraries in the state. the people of Washington state, including development of www.cha.wa.gov PO Box 42460 capital and operating budget policy. Washington State Historical Society Olympia, WA 98504-0238 P.O. Box 43113 The Society strives to make the study of history in Washington Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs phone: 360-704-5200 Olympia, WA 98504-3113 illuminating and inspiring by presenting diverse and compelling Recognizing the importance of sovereignty, the Office affirms www.sos.wa.gov/library 360-902-0555 educational opportunities including exhibits, programs, and the government-to-government relationship and principles TTY 360-902-0679 publications that make history relevant and alive; collects and identified in the Centennial Accord to promote and enhance Washington State Parks and Recreation www.ofm.wa.gov preserves materials that form the fabric of Washington’s tribal self-sufficiency and serves to assist the state in developing Commission history; and fosters a sense of identity and community by policies consistent with those principles. The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission civic engagement and encourages the heritage activities PO Box 40909 acquires, operates, enhances and protects a diverse system The tribes, who are working toward their own self-sufficiency, of others. Olympia, WA 98504-0909 of recreational, cultural, historical and natural resources share the long-term goals of economic stability, renewable History Museum 360-902-8827 statewide to provide enjoyment and enrichment for all, and resources and regulatory certainty. 1911 Pacific Avenue www.goia.wa.gov a valued legacy to future generations. 6730 Martin Way E. Tacoma, WA 98402 P.O. Box 42650 Olympia, WA 98516 1-888-238-4373 7150 Cleanwater Lane 360 438-1180 Information Line 253-272-9747 Olympia, WA 98504-2650 www.nwifc.org www.wshs.org (360) 902-8844 www.parks.wa.gov

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130 The state we’re in: Washington Appendix: a sampling of elected officials, state agencies and departments 131 Public Disclosure Commission Washington State Department of Social and PDC, originally created through initiative, provides timely and Health Services meaningful public access to information about the financing DSHS provides programs for children, families and people with of political campaigns, lobbyist expenditures, and the financial special needs and those needing long-term care, in partnerships affairs of public officials and candidates, and it ensures with families, community groups, private providers, other compliance with disclosure provisions, contribution limits, government agencies, and through foster parents, neighbors, campaign practices and other campaign finance laws. and citizens. PO Box 40908 Constituent Services 1-800-737-0617 Olympia, WA 98504-0908 www.dshs.wa.gov (360) 753-1111 Toll Free - 1-877-601-2828 Washington State Department of Transportation www.pdc.wa.gov The Washington State Department of Transportation keeps peo- ple and business moving by operating and improving the state Washington State Department of Natural transportation systems vital to our taxpayers and communities. Resources (Commissioner of Public Lands) 310 Maple Park Avenue SE In partnership with citizens and government they provide PO Box 47300 innovative leadership and expertise to ensure environmental Olympia WA 98504-7300 protection, public safety, perpetual funding for schools and Information 360-705-7000 communities and a rich quality of life. www.wsdot.wa.gov P.O. Box 47000 Olympia, WA 98504-7001 Washington State Patrol Phone: (360) 902-1004 The Washington State Patrol provides public safety services www.dnr.wa.gov to everyone where they live, work, travel, and play, making a difference every day. Governor’s Office of the Family and Children’s PO Box 42600 Ombudsman Olympia WA 98504-2600 The Office seeks to protect children and parents from harmful (360) 596-4000 agency action or inaction, and to make agency officials and www.wsp.wa.gov state policy makers aware of system-wide issues in the child protection and child welfare system so they can improve services. 6720 Fort Dent Way, Suite 240 Resource book on the Washington Mail Stop TT-99 State constitution: Tukwila, WA 98188 The Washington State Constitution: A Reference Guide by (206) 439-3870 • 1-800-571-7321 Robert F. Utter and Hugh Spitzer, Greenwood Publishing Group / (206) 439-3789/TTY Pacific Northwest. www.governor.wa.gov/ofco This is an easy to read, easy to use reference guide, available at Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction most libraries and from online booksellers. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, in collabora- tion with educators, students, families, local communities, business, labor, and government, leads, supports, and oversees K-12 education, ensuring the success of all learners. PO Box 47200 For further information, please visit the Olympia, WA 98504-7200 (360) 725-6000 League of Women Voters of Washington’s TTY (360) 664-3631 web site: www.lwvwa.org www.k12.wa.us

132 The state we’re in: Washington